


Requiem for Babel

by KittenJedi



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Alternate Universe - Historical, Anal Sex, Character Death, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Party, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Festivals, Hurt/Comfort, Infant Death, M/F Sex, M/M, M/M Sex, MCU AU, Mail Order Brides, Minor Character Death, Miscarriage, Morning Sickness, Multi, Old West, Oral Sex, Plague, Threesome - F/M/M, Vaginal Sex
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-17
Updated: 2019-05-21
Packaged: 2019-06-11 17:48:45
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 40
Words: 133,909
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15320919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KittenJedi/pseuds/KittenJedi
Summary: The town of Babel, Nebraska, is an isolated place, but still a thriving community. James Buchanan “Bucky” Barnes and his sister Rebecca came to Babel to take advantage of the Homestead Act, along with Bucky's closest friend Steve Rogers. Six years later, Becca is ready to move on, but not until she is certain her brother will be well cared for. She makes arrangements on Bucky's behalf, bringing orphaned Evelyn “Eevie” Carpenter out to Babel from Vermont, only to find out her brother already had a romantic partner. Together, Steve, Bucky, and Eevie are determined to work things out and give a three way marriage a chance. Just when it looks like everything is getting well settled, tragedy strikes the town, leaving no family unscathed. Will Eevie help her new family survive the nightmare, or will their budding happiness be taken from them?





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

 

Rebecca Barnes drew back from her beau, Isaac Booth, trying to put a little distance between them. Her heart was pounding, and both their lips were red and swollen from the kisses they had just shared. She was almost certain that her rich mahogany hair, pinned up in a fancy style for church earlier that day, was mussed and tousled. Becca reached up to try and right the damage done, looking away from her beau.

 

“I think we need to stop before we get carried away.” She said regretfully, not wanting to look at Isaac directly. Looking at Isaac meant seeing how deliciously rumpled he would look, his own sandy blonde hair ruffled from where she had run her fingers through it. Seeing him like that was enough to lead her into temptation worse than Eve faced when she was offered the forbidden fruit. And giving in to that temptation would definitely mean getting carried away. Not that it would be easy to get carried away; they were in a buggy out in the open where God and everyone could see them. At least, they could if Isaac hadn’t driven them out away from town so that he and Becca could have some privacy for their courting. The Nebraska plain stretched out around them, nothing but tall prairie grass and blue sky with a scattering of white clouds as far as the eye could see.

 

“If you’d marry me, we wouldn’t have to worry about getting carried away.” Isaac pointed out, giving Becca a charming smile, hoping her answer had changed from the last time he had asked, which had been the Sunday before. He had asked her several times since they had begun courting, but her answer was always, infuriatingly, the same.

 

“If I leave Bucky on his own, the house is going to fall to ruin and he’ll starve to death.” Becca sighed. “I want to, Isaac, I do, but… Until Bucky finds a woman to marry, I just can’t.”

 

“I thought you might say that, and I had an idea that might solve our problem.” Isaac said seriously. “There aren’t enough women in Babel, not ones he’d be interested in marrying, so I was wondering, how do we get your brother married off so that we can marry? I was thinking that over when I read through the newspaper yesterday, and then I came across some ads for mail order brides. It seems to me that a mail order bride is exactly what your brother needs.”

 

Becca blinked in surprise, thinking about that a moment, before frowning. “It’s perfect, but he would never agree to it.”

 

“Then we write out the ad ourselves, on his behalf, and don’t say anything until we bring a woman out here to marry him.” Isaac suggested, before reaching to take Becca’s hands in his. “Becca,” His tone was earnest, his expression one of waning patience, “We’ve been courting for two years now. We can’t keep waiting on your brother. If we do that, we’ll be waiting forever. Bucky isn’t in any hurry to get married on his own. He needs a good solid shove to get him to the altar.”

 

Becca sat, silent, as she thought it through. “I don’t like the thought of lying to a woman, pretending to be Bucky, but… All right.” She decided finally. “Let’s figure out what we want our ad to say.”

 

~*~

 

Evelyn Carpenter sighed, picking up one of the newspapers that her friend Lydia had placed on the park bench between the two of them. The two of them were trying to find Eevie a job; her eighteenth birthday was looming ever closer, and as soon as she turned eighteen she would be forced out of the orphanage to make it on her own, whether she had a place to go to or not. Lydia was lucky; as she was a little over a year younger than Eevie she had almost a year before needing to find a place for herself.

 

“No, not that one.” Lydia said, reaching for the paper to take it away and pressing a different one into Eevie’s hands to replace it. “Try this one.”

 

“The Matrimonial Times?” Eevie frowned as she read the name of the paper, a crease forming between her brows as they drew together in her confusion and displeasure. “Lydia, what is this? I’m looking for a job and a place to stay, not a husband.”

 

“But a husband would be the perfect solution to your problem.” Lydia protested. “We’ve gone through every other paper, and you don’t have the experience needed for any of the suitable jobs.” She reminded her friend gently. “It’s either this or moving away to one of the cities and finding factory work.”

 

“Or something far more unsavory.” Eevie sighed, looking at the paper. She had heard tales of girls who had failed to find gainful employment after being ejected from the orphanage, and she refused to end up in such dire straits. “What man is going to want an eighteen-year-old orphan for a wife?”

 

“Any man who is desperate enough to advertise for a wife in a newspaper.” Lydia said cheerfully. “We won’t know until you send off a letter or two, will we?”

 

“I suppose not.” Eevie murmured, looking over the ads doubtfully.

 

“You’d make a good farmer’s wife.” Lydia declared as she leaned so she could look at the ads as well. “There are several of them advertising for a wife.”

 

“A farmer’s wife?”

 

“Well, I don’t think they’d be as picky. What about that one?” Lydia pointed to an ad.

 

“Nebraska dirt farmer seeking wife and helpmeet ages eighteen to twenty-five. Must be hard working woman of good moral fiber.” Eevie read aloud, before looking over the mailing information. It gave no name, but that seemed common among the ads, and the address was for a place called Babel, Nebraska.

 

“That one is perfect for you.” Lydia declared.

 

“Why this one?” Eevie asked her friend, curious as to her reasoning. She wondered if Lydia was having one of her “feelings”. Lydia had gut feelings that were seldom wrong, and even Missus Murphy, the matron of the orphanage, had learned to listen to Lydia’s gut feelings.

 

“I just have a good feeling about it. Come on. Let’s go and ask Missus Murphy for paper and a pencil so you can write to him!”

 

“Missus Murphy is going to have conniptions when she finds out I’m sending off to be a mail order bride.” Eevie countered, less worried than she had been thanks to Lydia’s assurance that she had a good feeling about this particular ad. Still, some concern was warranted; Missus Murphy was a lovely if somewhat overbearing woman who took her job very seriously.

 

“Maybe, but then she’ll calm down and be happy that you’re looking to your future and doing something this sensible instead of going off to work yourself to death in a factory.” Lydia said cheerfully as she stood and picked up the rest of the newspapers. “Come on!”

 

“All right.” Eevie said, still clutching the Matrimonial Times as they made their way to the orphanage. They went to hunt up Missus Murphy, who was in her office going over paperwork.

 

“Missus Murphy?” Eevie asked softly, knocking on the frame of the door. The stout Irish woman looked up, red hair gleaming like flames in the light of the sun that streamed through the window. Not for the first time, Eevie felt a bit envious of Missus Murphy’s hair, wishing hers was a rich red instead of plain, average brown.

 

The matron looked up and smiled when she saw Eevie and Lydia standing in the doorway. “Evelyn, Lydia. You come bringing good news, I hope?”

 

Eevie stepped into the office, “Well… Yes and no.” She ventured. “I haven’t been able to find a position here in town, but Lydia found a copy of the Matrimonial Times, and, well, she has a good feeling about my answering one ad in particular.”

 

Missus Murphy raised a brow. “I am not familiar with the Matrimonial Times, but from the name I can assume you’re looking at becoming a mail order bride?”

 

“Yes, ma’am.” Eevie agreed.

 

Missus Murphy looked to Lydia. “And this good feeling of yours… It’s a gut feeling?”

 

“Yes, ma’am.” Lydia smiled. “I think answering this ad is exactly what Eevie needs to do.”

 

“May I see the ad?” Missus Murphy held out her hand for the paper. Eevie handed it over quickly, while Lydia moved closer to point out the ad in particular. Missus Murphy read it over and frowned slightly. “That doesn’t give much to go on… But if you truly want this, I will allow it. I don’t see how I can stop you. You’ll be eighteen soon and need to find a place in the world outside the orphanage.” She set the newspaper on her desk. “How can I help?”

 

“I need supplies to write a reply.” Eevie ventured. The children all used slates for school, which would be highly impractical for letter writing.

 

“Certainly. Here, use my desk. It is about time I go and check on dinner.” Missus Murphy said, drawing out stationary and a steel pen.

 

“Thank you, Missus Murphy.” Eevie beamed at the matron, who merely smiled at her before leaving the room. Eevie sat down in Missus Murphy’s chair behind the desk, and immediately felt as if she were an imposter, as if she were somewhere she did not belong.

 

“Right then.” She said, letting out her breath in a great whoosh of air. “Now I have to write a letter. To a man whose name I don’t even know. Where do I even begin?”

 

“Your name is usually a good idea.” Lydia teased, and Eevie poked the tip of her tongue out at her friend before she picked up the pen and began to write.

 

 

_Dear sir,_

_I came across your advertisement in the Matrimonial Times and was compelled to send a response. My name is Evelyn Carpenter, but nearly everyone calls me Eevie. I am seventeen years old, and I currently reside in the orphanage in Morgan’s Mill, Vermont. My parents were taken by disease and passed when I was three years old, at which time I was sent to the orphanage. Your advertisement seeks a woman who is eighteen, and I know I am forward in answering your letter when I do not meet your age requirements, but my birthday will be in a month. On my birthday I will need to leave the orphanage, and I thought it best to become a mail order bride. While I lived here, I was given regular schooling, and I also learned to cook, clean, sew, and take care of the younger children, so I believe I would be a good helpmeet to you. I am not a stranger to hard work, of which I imagine there is much of on a farm._

_My friend Lydia says that I must put a bit about my appearance, so I will. I am of average height, and slender. My hair is brown, and my eyes are hazel. I am told that I am not unattractive, but still, there are few prospects for me in Morgan’s Mill._

_You say in your advertisement that you are a dirt farmer. What sort of crops do you raise? What is your farm like? What are you like? Do you seek to gain anything else from marriage, aside from a wife and helpmeet as requested in your ad? Forgive me if I am being too forward, but I am hoping that, should you feel I am acceptable, that we can be friends as well as companions, and knowing more about you and your farm would only help further that end._

_I look forward to corresponding with you further._

_Respectfully yours,_

_Evelyn Carpenter (Eevie)_

 

 

Eevie sat back and read the letter over, carefully blotting it so that the ink would not smear. Then she handed it to Lydia to read, even though she had read over Eevie’s shoulder as she had written it. “Well?” Eevie asked nervously.

 

“I like it.” Lydia decided after reading over the letter again. “It is very like you, but formal at the same time. And it goes over the most important points.” She hesitated a moment, “But don’t you want to fall in love with him someday?”

 

“I’m selling myself out as a mail order bride. Best to not expect love.” Eevie pointed out drily.

 

“But you can still hope for it. I don’t see how anyone could not love you once they get to know you.” Lydia said staunchly, and Eevie smiled.

 

“You’re biased. You’re my best friend.”

 

“Of course I am. And don’t you dare forget it when you’re off in Nebraska, swooning into the muscled arms of a handsome farmer!”

 

“I think you’ve been reading too many dime novels.” Eevie laughed as she took the letter back and folded it neatly, before slipping it into an envelope which she carefully addressed. She hesitated then. “Should I keep it? The advertisement, I mean?”

 

“I think so. That way you can show your children how silly their father was to put out such a simple ad, and he can tell them about how lucky he was that you responded!”

 

Eevie laughed at that, before smiling down at the letter resting atop the newspaper on the desk in front of her. _Yes,_ she decided, _this is the right thing for me to do._


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which options are weighed.

Becca was impatient all morning and early afternoon that Sunday, having had caught Isaac’s eye in church, earning a small nod and a conspiratorial smile from her beau before they needed to turn their attention to the preacher. The ad had been in the paper for three weeks now, and that nod was what she had been waiting for. It meant that he had received a reply to the ad, and he would bring it with him when he came to take her on a drive after dinner.

 

Of course, Bucky could tell that there was something on her mind. He was observant, which was part of the reason why Becca was worried about this plan of Isaac’s. There was a very real possibility that Bucky would realize the two of them were up to something, and it was up to Becca and Isaac to make certain that they didn’t give anything away, and Bucky remained ignorant of their intentions.

 

Becca sat next to Bucky on the wagon seat as he drove them back to town in the farm wagon. Steve Rogers, who owned the land directly adjoining Bucky’s, had ridden on ahead of them, while Isaac followed Bucky and Becca in his buggy. Becca could have ridden with Isaac had it been allowed; he had offered to drive her as they left church, but every Sunday Bucky refused on her behalf, saying the same thing: Isaac was welcome to come to dinner after service, and he was welcome to take Becca driving after dinner as long as she had no objections, but so long as Becca arrived in town with Bucky, she would leave town with Bucky. It was a rule that Becca had tried to rebel against once, but Bucky had stood firm, quietly threatening to toss her over his shoulder like a sack of grain to get her into the wagon when it had looked like she was going to get into the buggy with Isaac. Becca believed he actually would have done it, embarrassing her in front of the entire congregation in the process, so she backed down, and went to their old farm wagon. It was an event that made the two lovers learn to abide by the rule, as pointlessly silly as it seemed, even though neither of them liked it.

 

As for Steve Rogers, he took nearly all of his meals with Bucky and Becca, and Becca did his washing and mending as well. He had grown up with the Barnes siblings in Brooklyn, and was Bucky’s closest friend, just as Bucky was his. When Bucky and Becca’s parents had died and they had travelled out to Nebraska to take advantage of the Homestead Act, Steve went with them, and after claiming the two adjoining plats of land, the two young men had built their houses practically within spitting distance of each other. There was a wagon track between the two farms that served as a road to farms and ranches further past theirs.

 

“You and Booth both seemed a little antsy today during the service.” Bucky remarked to Becca as he drove the wagon back to their farm. Becca flushed guiltily, trying to think up a response, but Bucky unknowingly gave her one as he continued, “He propose yet?”

 

“Not yet.” Becca lied, cheeks flaming. At least that could be taken as embarrassment, she thought rather gratefully. “I expect he will soon enough.”

 

“He’d better. You’ve been driving with him for two years.” Bucky frowned. “Want me to have a few words with him about it? There are other men in Babel who won’t waste your time the way he is.”

 

“No.” Becca said quickly. “I think he’ll speak soon. You know Isaac, he’s a quiet sort. Likes to take his time.” That was generally true, but the one thing Isaac didn’t seem to have any patience about was in getting Becca to be his wife. He had waited a good long while to ask her the first time, but after that he seemed to be losing the patience he was so well known for in Babel. Particularly because he knew that Becca was inclined to say yes… But not until she was convinced her brother would be well cared for.

 

“There’s taking your time, and then there is waiting too damn long to speak.” Bucky grumbled.

 

“James Barnes.”

 

“Sorry, sorry. Too darned long, is that better?”

 

“Better.” Becca agreed. “He’ll ask soon. I know he will.”

 

“Whatever you say.” Bucky sounded doubtful, a little grudging. “If he breaks your heart, I’ll be breaking something myself.”

 

“Bucky!” Becca gasped, aghast.

 

“Don’t worry, I’ll just rough him up a bit. Teach him that there are consequences for leading a woman on the way he has.”

 

“He’s not leading me on!” Becca protested, and it was on the tip of her tongue to tell him that Isaac _had_ proposed, but she managed to stop herself. If she confessed that, Bucky would wonder why Becca hadn’t said yes, why she hadn’t told him about it. If he started asking her questions about that, she knew it would be only a matter of time before she confessed the plan Isaac had concocted, and she had gone along with, to find Bucky a mail order bride. And if Bucky found out, he would put an end to any plotting to bring a woman out to marry him.

 

“All right, he’s not leading you on.” They were nearing the farm, the buildings in the distance growing ever larger as they approached, “But if he hasn’t said anything by Christmas, I’m going to have to have words with him.”

 

“If he hasn’t asked by Christmas, you can have all the words with him you want.” Becca smiled, confident they would find someone for Bucky well before that. It was only July, after all, and Isaac had at least one response already!

 

Bucky nodded, before falling silent once more as he guided the horses home.

 

~*~

 

Becca wasn’t quite certain how she managed to prepare dinner and sit through the meal without giving something away, she was in such a state of eager anticipation. Bucky and Steve volunteered to do the dishes as they generally did on Sundays, so that Becca could have more time with Isaac. She and Isaac went to his buggy, where he helped her up and then got in, guiding his team of horses to start away from the farm at a brisk trot.

 

“Well?” She asked eagerly, when Isaac didn’t seem to be forthcoming.

 

“Patience.” He said, looking at her and smiling, “Let’s get away from the farm first, or they’ll suspect something.”

 

“Bucky already suspects something. He asked if you’d proposed yet.”

 

“And what did you tell him?”

 

“I regret to say I lied to him.” Becca sighed, still feeling a little guilt over that. “Then he said that if you didn’t say something to me by Christmas, he was going to have words with you. He implied that there would be more than just talking involved.”

 

Isaac chuckled. “Hopefully we’ll be well settled on my farm come Christmas.”

 

“Hopefully.” Becca said, “That depends on if we can get Bucky settled or not.”

 

“Shouldn’t have much trouble with that, seeing as how I received two responses from the ad this week.”

 

“Two?” Becca gasped in delight.

 

“Two.” Isaac verified, passing the reins to one hand, glad the horses were docile and well trained. He reached into his jacket pocket and withdraw two folded envelopes from where he had secreted them and passed them to Becca, who accepted them eagerly.

 

“Did you read them?”

 

“No. I thought you could read them aloud while we drove.”

 

“I can do that.” Becca smiled, opening the first envelope, which had a return address in Virginia. She read the letter, which was from a twenty-four-year-old widow, who had two children and a third on the way. Her husband had been a clerk at a bank, and she wrote that she grew up in town and knew little of what went on on a farm, but she was willing to learn. Becca frowned as she read the letter; while she felt bad for the woman, and she could see Bucky eventually accepting the role of father to another man’s children, she knew that her brother would prefer to start out married life with just himself and his wife in the house, and that this woman sounded like a poor fit for life on the prairie.

 

“I’m not certain about that one.” Isaac was frowning as well. “Read the other.”

 

Becca nodded, and opened up the second letter, which had a return address in Vermont. She read over the letter from the orphan girl who would soon be eighteen and knew immediately that this was the woman for her brother. She was curious about the farm, was willing to work hard, and was probably used to hard work, whereas the other woman was used to an easier life.

 

“I think Bucky would like her best of the two.” Isaac said when Becca finished reading the letter. “Bit young, but I think she’d suit.”

 

“So do I.” Becca agreed. “We should start planning our response. I want to get her out here soon.”

 

“The sooner the better.” Isaac agreed. The sooner she got there, the sooner he and Becca could get married. “We’ll tell her to plan on a double wedding. No sense in us waiting once she arrives.”

 

Becca gave Isaac a shining smile.

 

“I’ll head to Cobb City tomorrow.” He continued, “I’ve got some business to take care of there, and I can get her train ticket and stagecoach ticket and send them on while I’m there.”

 

“What business?” Becca asked curiously. Isaac chuckled.

 

“You’ll find out soon enough, Becca. Just be patient.”

 

“Isaac Booth, you know I am the least patient person in the world.”

 

“Sounds like I have a few things to teach you, then.” He smiled over at her, eyes sparkling as he guided the buggy to a stop. “But for now, I think we’ve done enough talking.”

 

“We haven’t even decided what to say in the letter…” Becca trailed off as Isaac wrapped an arm around her and drew her closer.

 

“Later.” He promised her, before bowing his head to capture her lips with his own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shorter chapter, but it was the best place for a break.
> 
> Hoping to continue to update every Monday evening.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a response is received and preparations are made.

Eevie paused outside the door to Missus Murphy’s office, stomach churning uncomfortably. As dinner was drawing to a close, Missus Murphy had asked Eevie to please come and see her in her office once her chores were done. The other orphans had all given her worried glances; they knew that Eevie would be eighteen in a week, and to have a private conversation with Missus Murphy… It was clear that they were all wondering if she was going to be expelled from the orphanage early. Eevie found herself wondering the same.

 

“I’ll wait out here for you.” Lydia smiled reassurance at Eevie, who flashed a strained smile at her friend.

 

“Missus Murphy?” Eevie asked tentatively, placing a light knock on the frame of the door, which was propped open. The older woman looked up from the papers on her desk and smiled at Eevie, beckoning to her.

 

“Come in, Evelyn.” She picked up an envelope from where it had been lying on the edge of her desk, “A letter has come for you. From Babel, Nebraska.”

 

Eevie’s eyes widened. She hadn’t forgotten about the advertisement she had answered, but she hadn’t expected a response so quickly. She found herself staring at the envelope in Missus Murphy’s hand uncertainly, eyeing it as if it might turn into a snake and bite her.

 

“It’s just a letter, Evelyn.” Missus Murphy said in a softer, gentler tone. “The worse that he can do is tell you ‘no’. And if that is so, we simply try again.”

 

Eevie swallowed hard, nodding, reaching to take the letter from Missus Murphy.

 

“Do you want to take that to your room to read it?” Missus Murphy asked, but Eevie shook her head. She shared her room with five other girls; there would be no privacy there. “All right. Sit down and read your letter. Do you want me to go and give you a few minutes?”

 

“No, ma’am.” Eevie said as she sat down in one of the two chairs in front of Missus Murphy’s desk. With trembling hands, she split the seal on the envelope and drew out the papers within. She stared down at them blankly a moment, heart pounding at what she saw, though she did not quite believe her eyes. “… He sent me a train ticket.” She breathed, then saw the other ticket. “And a stagecoach ticket… And money.” She looked up to Missus Murphy, stunned, not quite certain what to do with herself. She could hear Lydia let out a whoop of delight from the hallway.

 

“Lydia, that was hardly polite. If you insist on eavesdropping, you must learn to control yourself.” Missus Murphy said drily.

 

“Sorry, Missus Murphy. Can I come in, Eevie? You have to read the letter to us!” Lydia said, looking into the office, eyes shining bright with excitement.

 

Eevie nodded, carefully tucking the precious tickets and money back into the envelope, setting it on the edge of the desk nearest to her, and carefully unfolding the plain white paper. The letter was written in a strong, clear hand, with few errors. She took a breath as Lydia hurried in and sat in the other chair before Missus Murphy’s desk, and then she began to read the letter aloud.

_“Dear Eevie,_

_I was very glad to receive your letter. After reading it, I think we will suit very well. Enclosed is a train ticket that will bring you to Cobb City, and then a stagecoach ticket to bring you from Cobb City to Babel, as well as some money to help you buy food during the journey. It is a forty-mile journey from Cobb City to Babel, and I will be awaiting your arrival most eagerly, along with my sister and her beau, who intend to marry the same time as us._

_I guess I should talk about myself a bit now. My name is James Buchanan Barnes, but everyone calls me Bucky. I’m tall and lean, with brown hair and blue eyes. I came to Nebraska from New York City with my sister Rebecca and my friend Steve to try and make a go of things on the prairie. We’ve been here almost six years now, and the farm is mine outright, all three hundred and twenty acres, no longer on loan from Uncle Sam. On the farm I raise a variety of crops. Oats for the stock, wheat, rye, corn, carrots, potatoes, and turnips, but mostly corn. I have a tree claim, so forty acres of the claim is set aside for trees, but several of those acres are of apple trees. There’s a big kitchen garden that Becca takes care of, but that will fall to you once you’re here. I raise enough to keep us through the year, and some to sell. It won’t ever make us rich, but the farm will keep us fed and clothed._

_You asked if I seek to gain anything else from our marriage, aside from a wife and helpmeet. Yes, I do. I also seek companionship, which will hopefully grow into friendship, and maybe, given time, more than that._

_I look forward to your arrival in Babel._

_Yours,_

_Bucky”_

 

“That isn’t much to go on,” Missus Murphy frowned, “But he sounds as if he will be a good provider. And his sister will be nearby, I assume, since they want a double wedding.”

 

“A good provider is all I can ask for, really, in a situation like this.” Eevie said softly, folding the letter, which she had every intention of re-reading later. “But… He wants more than just companionship and friendship. I think… I think this will work.” A nervous smile appeared on her features, “I think I can be happy with him.”

 

“I know you’ll be happy with him.” Lydia said staunchly. “I can feel it.”

 

“Can you?” Missus Murphy sounded amused as she stood. “Right then. I’ll tuck your tickets and things away safely under lock and key, and then the three of us are going to pay a visit to Missus Callum.”

 

“Missus Callum?” Lydia asked blankly, Eevie wondering the same. Why were they going to go see the reverend’s wife?

 

“We’re going to see if there is anything among the donated goods that will do for our Evelyn. We’ve not any money to spare for new dresses, or even old ones, but we should see if we can at least do _something._ When does your train leave, Evelyn?” Missus Murphy asked briskly. Eevie quickly reached for the envelope again and drew out the tickets.

 

“The day after tomorrow.”

 

“That’s before you turn eighteen.”

 

“But I’ll be eighteen when we marry.” Eevie pointed out. “And it isn’t as if I told him when my birthday was so that he could send for me after I turned eighteen.”

 

“True enough, true enough. All right. I’ll take that,” Missus Murphy took the envelope that Eevie held out to her and moved to place it in the locked drawer of her desk, taking care to make certain the drawer was locked once the envelope was placed inside. Evelyn’s future was contained in that little scrap of paper, and Missus Murphy did not want to jeopardize it. “And now we can be off. Get your bonnets, girls.”

 

“Yes, Missus Murphy.” Eevie and Lydia said, both stranding and hurrying from the room to fetch the bonnets, made from worn old calico that did not match the dresses they wore. Their clothes were hand-me-downs, cast offs that had been donated to the orphanage or the church. Each girl had two simple work dresses if possible, one usually set aside for Sunday best. Both of Eevie’s were made from prints that were dull browns and reds, and she longed for something nicer than the cast offs she wore. Maybe someday she would have a new dress, one that wasn’t handed down from someone else, but one that had been made just for her. She hoped that maybe after she had been married a year or two and her current two dresses were worn down and threadbare she could get fabric to make a new dress.

 

Soon the two girls were following Missus Murphy out of the orphanage and to the parsonage, where Missus Murphy knocked on the door. It was the reverend himself who answered the door, and he raised his brows in surprise to see the three.

 

“Reverend Callum.” Missus Murphy smiled, “I hate to bother Missus Callum in the middle of the day with no warning, but we’re going to be sending our Evelyn out to Nebraska the day after tomorrow, and we are in need of her assistance.”

 

“Nebraska?” The Reverend looked surprised, and baffled. He turned his attention of Eevie, “I’m glad you found a place, Evelyn, but what is drawing you to Nebraska?”

 

Eevie flushed. “I’m going to be a mail order bride to a farmer there. From his letter, he sounds very nice.”

 

“A mail order bride? Well if that doesn’t beat all.” The reverend said as his wife came up behind him. “I’ve heard of such things, of course, but I never thought a girl from Morgan’s Mill would do such a thing.”

 

“A mail order bride?” Missus Callum asked, startled, having heard her husband. He moved aside, letting her petite from pass in front of him. “Missus Murphy, it’s good to see you. Lydia, Evelyn.” Missus Callum smiled at Evelyn, “I suppose that you’re our bride to be?”

 

“Yes, ma’am.” Eevie agreed.

 

“Wonderful! Congratulations, Evelyn.” Missus Callum smiled warmly at her, “And you’ve come to see if we can find you something to wear in the donations for the missionary barrels, I take it?”

 

“If it wouldn’t trouble you.” Missus Murphy agreed.

 

“It’s no trouble at all.” Missus Callum assured them. “Please, follow me. We’ll go around back.” She stepped out of the parsonage, walking briskly around to the back of the church, where the church storerooms were. She led them into the storeroom and began moving through the small stacks of goods. “We’ve more that is suitable for children than young ladies, but I’m certain we can find something.” Missus Callum mused, before drawing out a shawl woven of a thick fabric. “This will certainly help. It’s summer now, but you’ll want this come winter.”

 

Eevie couldn’t help but smile, looking at the warm fabric woven in blue and gray. “Oh, this will be perfect, Missus Callum. Thank you.”

 

“And we’re not done yet.” The woman smiled, “Where is your destination?”

 

“A town called Babel, in Nebraska.”

 

“Babel… A good biblical name.” Missus Callum mused, “I hope it is a good place and you thrive there, and that it doesn’t meet a similar fate to the biblical Babel.”

 

“Yes, ma’am.” Eevie smiled. “At least it isn’t Gomorrah.” She ventured almost cheekily.

 

“Evelyn!” Missus Murphy said disapprovingly, while Missus Callum laughed.

 

“There are worse names than Babel.” She agreed, “And worse fates. I’ll pray for you, Evelyn. That you’ll be well and thrive there. You must write to us to let us know how you fare, and about this husband of yours. How much do you know about him?”

 

“Not terribly much.” Eevie sighed. “His name is James Buchanan Barnes, but he is called Bucky. He lives with his sister, who will be marrying at the same time as us.”

 

“A double wedding? How lovely! And what does this James Buchanan do for a living?”

 

“He’s a farmer. Mostly corn. I don’t know a lot more, I’ve only had the one letter from him.”

 

Missus Callum frowned as she inspected a dress, then discarded it as unsuitable for Eevie. “That isn’t much to go on. Are you certain you want to do this?”

 

“Yes, ma’am.” Eevie said softly. “I want this. Farming will be hard work, I know that even if I don’t know much of anything about working on a farm, but it will be a good life. I don’t need silks and satins and a mansion in the city. A roof over my head, a full belly, and a good man will be enough for me.”

 

Missus Callum turned to smile at her. “Well said, Evelyn. An attitude like that will get you far, and you’ll be far happier in life than many others. Now,” She held up a pile of mustard yellow material, a color that made Eevie cringe inwardly, hoping that she didn’t mean that to be her dress. “I think this will do well for a travelling dress and Sunday best. We’ll need to take it in to fit you, but that should be no trouble. When are you leaving?”

 

She was glad that she hadn’t been asked what she thought of the dress. She would have needed to be polite, which would have meant lying. And aside from the color it was a very nice dress, with a tight fitting long sleeved basque that buttoned up the front in a row of small golden buttons and possessed a high collar, with a little bit of white lace peeking out at the cuffs of the sleeves. The skirts were fashionably full, the overskirt gathered into a bustle in the back and pulled back from the front to reveal the pleated underskirt of the same dark yellow material. Black beaded trim that had seen better days adorned the dress, and the overskirt had a row of large, widely spaced decorative buttons running down either side before giving way and revealing the underskirt. _If only it wasn’t mustard yellow!_ Eevie lamented silently, managing to smile as she looked away from the dress and at Missus Callum. “The day after tomorrow. At one in the afternoon.”

 

“That doesn’t give us much time, but I think we can manage. Don’t you agree, Lydia?”

 

“Yes, ma’am.” Lydia grinned at Missus Callum.

 

Eevie felt a warmth inside her. She was sad that she would be leaving the only home she could remember but pleased that she had such good people looking after her and helping her.

 

She couldn’t wait to reach Babel and meet her husband.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are revelations.

Becca finished smoothing the blankets over her bed, looking at it in approval. She would only be spending one more night in the little sod house she shared with Bucky, and she would be taking the sheets and blankets for her bed with her, but she wanted everything in the house to be perfect for Eevie when Becca was gone. Becca had scrubbed everything as much as she could, blackened the stove, dusted and polished all the things that would remain, even as she packed up her own possessions. She had washed all the clothes and bedding, even emptying the straw ticks and scrubbing them clean, before having Bucky come and stuff them with fresh hay.

 

Bucky had looked at Becca askance, but he hadn’t asked what he was clearly thinking. Why was she in such a tear to get the house cleaned and the bedding all washed before Friday night?

 

Finished in her room, she went to Bucky’s, waiting patiently outside the length of calico fabric that served as a door. “Bucky? Can I come in?”

 

“I’m shaving.” He called back. Beards might have been common among farmers and laborers, but Bucky and Steve both took pains to remain clean shaven.

 

“All right. When you’re done, will you come out and talk to me?” She asked.

 

“I’ll be out soon.” He promised. Becca took a breath and then went to make one final circuit of the house, making certain that everything was just right. She was sitting in her comfortable rocking chair when Bucky finally came from his room, freshly shaved, pulling his suspenders back up over his shoulders, shirt hardly tucked in and the placket unbuttoned. She knew he would have shaved shirtless but was considerate enough to put his shirt back on before coming out into the main room. “All right, Becks, what’s troubling you?”

 

Becca let out a breath. “We need to go to town tomorrow.”

 

Bucky frowned. Becca knew what she was asking; Sunday was a day for no work, but to take a Saturday too was quite unusual.

 

“What’s going on, Becca?”

 

“I expect you to be dressed in your Sunday best,” She continued. “We’ll be attending a wedding. A double wedding, as a matter of fact.”

 

Bucky’s furrowed brow smoothed, and he was smiling now. Going into town for a wedding was a horse of a different color; of course they would go. “A wedding will be good fun. Who’s getting married?”

 

Here, Becca blushed. “Isaac and I are getting married.”

 

Bucky gaped at her, before he broke out into a big grin and let out a whoop. “About time! Congratulations, Becca, but I wish you would have told me sooner that I’d be giving my baby sister away tomorrow!”

 

“I’m not as young as all that.” She countered.

 

“You’ll always be my baby sister.” He said staunchly, still grinning. “All right, you said a double wedding. Who is getting hitched next to you and Booth?”

 

Becca took a deep breath, her smile fading. Now would come the hard part. “You and your mail order bride.”

 

Bucky stared at her, “My… I’m sorry, my _what?_ I don’t have a mail order bride, and I’m not about to go send off for one.” He saw Becca’s face and he cursed. “Rebecca Marie Barnes. You _didn’t._ ”

 

She sighed. “I did. She’ll be arriving on the stage tomorrow. Her name is Evelyn, and-”

 

“-And did you stop to think that I might not want to get married? Or I might not want to marry a complete stranger?” He demanded, standing up so abruptly that he nearly knocked his chair over. He paced before Becca a few moments, raking his hands through his hair. “When she gets off that stagecoach tomorrow, you are going to explain _exactly_ what you did to her, and we’re going to send her back to her family.”

 

“We can’t do that; she’s an orphan. She doesn’t have a family. She won’t be able to go back; the orphanage was going to turn her out when she turned eighteen.” Becca said calmly, her words causing Bucky to curse and resume pacing. Hopefully, if she was calm, Bucky would calm a bit, and see that this was the best thing for all of them. “She sounds like a very nice girl, and she said she is willing to work hard. I have the letter in my room, if you would like to read it.”

 

“Why would I want to read a letter from her when we’re just turning around and sending her back to… Wherever she came from?” He demanded, stopping and scowling at Becca, his blue eyes dark with fury.

 

“Vermont.” Becca supplied helpfully. “She can’t go back, Bucky. There’s no place for her to go to. But if you don’t want to marry her, maybe Steve would be interested in-”

 

“-Steve doesn’t want a mail order bride any more than I do! Christ, Becca! What were you thinking?”

 

“I was thinking that I couldn’t get married and leave you until you had someone to look after you and keep you company.”

 

“’Look after me’? Since when do I need looking after? I’m a grown man!”

 

“You work too hard on the farm to come home and take care of the housework.” Becca pointed out. “Who would do your laundry? Or do the cooking? Or cleaning?”

 

“Between us, Steve and I could probably manage just fine without any help.” Bucky pointed out.

 

“Oh, ‘probably’, he says.” Becca sighed. “I want to make certain you don’t starve to death. And you’re older than me by five years. You should be married by now. Settled down with a family. I want my children to have cousins to grow up with.”

 

“I don’t want a wife, and if I _did,_ which I _don’t,_ I could find a wife without any help, and without sending off for a mail order bride!”

 

“Who would you find, Bucky? Where?” Becca demanded. “We’ve been here six years and the men still outnumber the women. There isn’t a single young woman around Babel that hasn’t had at least two young men constantly dancing attendance on her.” Becca would know; she had several young men who frequently asked after her, but she was devoted to Isaac. “A mail order bride is the perfect solution.”

 

“You could have tried talking to me about it, instead of picking out a woman and sending for her on my behalf.” Bucky grumped. Becca fought the urge to smile. He was coming around to the idea, much sooner than she had expected him to.

 

“You would have said no.”

 

“You’re damn right I would have said no!” He ran a hand through his hair again. “Becca… Didn’t you ever wonder why I never courted anyone outright?”

 

“Well, no, not after I overheard Mama complaining to Papa about you spending so much time with Widow Rosca.” She saw Bucky flush slightly. He hadn’t expected her to know about that; but it had been obvious once she knew what to look for. A fifteen-year-old boy suddenly spending all his time doing repair work for the comely middle-aged widow? It was clear enough what was going on, though it had taken Becca a few years to realize it. Of course, Widow Rosca had remained in Brooklyn when they had left, and if there had been anyone else in her brother’s life once they reached Nebraska, Becca had not been able to find out who.

 

“That isn’t what I was referring to.” He countered.

 

“It isn’t?”

 

“Becca, Steve and I are… We love each other. We’ve been waiting for you to get hitched to Booth so Steve can move in and we can combine households. Have a bachelor marriage.”

 

Becca felt the blood drain from her face.

 

A bachelor marriage.

 

Her brother and Steve.

 

She had known they were close; they had been inseparable for as long as she could remember, but she had never given a moment of thought to the idea that they might be more than friends.

 

And she had brought a woman out to marry her brother.

 

“I… Oh God, Bucky, I didn’t know.” Becca breathed out, horrified. “I never even suspected, I don’t think Isaac did either, because he helped me with the ad and going through the responses.”

 

Bucky gave her an almost sickly grin. “Well, Steve and I haven’t exactly been open about it, but I still thought it was clear enough.”

 

“Bucky, she’s going to be here tomorrow! What are we going to do?” Becca demanded, stricken. She had thought she was helping bring a young woman out of a hard situation, only to find out she was dropping her into an even more difficult one.

 

“I don’t… I don’t know, Becks.” Bucky started tucking his shirt in, “I’m going to go talk to Steve. See if he has any ideas. We can’t just… Leave her stranded in the middle of Nebraska.”

 

“We’ll think of something.” Becca wrung her hands, “Maybe there’s another man in town looking for a bride.”

 

“We’ll think of something.” Bucky assured her, before striding from the house, crossing the yard to Steve’s small sod house; which was a single room, unlike the three room soddie that Bucky and Becca lived in. When they had first built their sod houses, Steve had pointed out that he didn’t need as much room as Bucky and Becca did, particularly as he would be spending a good deal of time with them in their home.

 

Bucky knocked on the door to Steve’s house, which was open to let in a breeze, and then he walked inside without waiting for an answer. Steve looked over, straight razor in one hand, face mostly cleared of shaving foam. He was shirtless, his suspenders hanging down from where they were fastened to his trousers.

 

“Something wrong?” He asked, concerned.

 

“It can wait until you’re done.” Bucky said, moving to lean against the plastered wall, unashamedly enjoying the view as Steve turned back to the mirror and carefully finished shaving.

 

“You’re staring.” Steve said as he rinsed off his razor in the washbasin.

 

“It’s your own fault. If you don’t want me to stare, you shouldn’t look so good.” Bucky drawled. Steve finished patting his face clean with a hand towel and turned to grin at Bucky, but when he saw Bucky’s dark expression his smile faded.

 

“Going to tell me what’s wrong?”

 

“Becca sent off for a mail order bride for me.”

 

 The towel fell from Steve’s hands and landed on a floor in a whisper of fabric that was almost a gunshot in the silence that fell after Bucky’s words. Steve’s jaw was clenched, and his throat worked a moment, and Bucky knew he was working on controlling his temper. Steve had been quite the firecracker when he was younger; as he matured he had turned into a powder keg, but was better able to keep himself under control. Most of the time.

 

“Becca what?” Steve finally managed to ask.

 

“You heard me.” Bucky straightened and raked his hands through his hair. “She sent off for a mail order bride for me. The girl is supposed to be here tomorrow. I swear to you, Stevie, I had no idea. I was just as blindsided as you when Becca told me tonight.”

 

“Becca doesn’t know about us?” Steve frowned, “Or… Does she not approve of the two of us being together?”

 

“No, not that. She didn’t know, but she sure as hell does now.” Bucky let out a sigh, “And while she didn’t come out and say anything against it, I think she understands, accepts it, but none of that changes the fact that tomorrow there will be an eighteen-year-old orphan girl getting off the stagecoach expecting to marry me.”

 

Steve bent to pick up the fallen towel, silent. It was an oppressive silence that made Bucky shift uneasily.

 

“We can ask her what she wants to do about it when she gets off the stage.” Steve suggested as he folded the towel in his hands, then unfolded it and folded it again, needing something to fidget with, hold his gaze and his attention. “Tell her the entire situation.”

 

“True.” Bucky frowned, “Hadn’t thought of that, but it is her future on the line. She should have some say in it. We can see if she wants to stay in Babel and find someone else to marry, or take some money and go back where she came from.”

 

“You said she’s an orphan?”

 

“Yeah. Becca said something about the orphanage kicking her out since she’s eighteen now.” Bucky frowned. “Guess she wouldn’t want to go back where she came from, if all that’s going to greet her is a door in her face.”

 

“I wouldn’t want to go back.” Steve agreed quietly, almost absently, clearly thinking on something, trying to puzzle some thought out in his head.

 

“Looks like you have an idea.”

 

“I have what might be the beginnings of an idea. I just don’t know if it’s a good one.” Steve moved to his armchair—twin to the one in Bucky’s house—and sat down, still thinking. Bucky moved to sit in the hard-backed chair near to where Steve said and waited, raising his brows at Steve, silently asking him to elaborate further. It was a few minutes before Steve did.

 

“What if one of us did marry her?” Steve finally asked, looking to Bucky, who gaped at him.

 

“I’m sorry, _what?”_ Bucky demanded, outraged as confusion and hurt roiled within him, fighting for dominance. “Damnitt Stevie, have you lost your _mind?_ I thought you and I were partners. Until the end of the trail. That’s what we promised, remember?” He spat out as he stood.

 

“Bucky, hear me out first.” Steve said, holding up his hands in a ‘don’t shoot’ gesture. “Please. Like I said, I don’t know if this is a good idea, but there’s more to it. That’s only a part of it.”

 

“Well you’d better get to talking pretty damn quick before I head right out that door.” The furious brunette snapped. He loved Steve with everything he had in him, had for years, and he had thought Steve felt the same way about him. Finding out that he didn’t was a devastating blow. Finding out like this was almost debilitating. Thank God for the righteous outrage that kept him from going still in shock, Bucky couldn’t help but think bitterly.

 

“One of us marries her, or both of us marry her. But no matter how we do it, she knows, up front, that you and me, we’re a pair. And all that us being a pair entails. Now, you want to sit down and hear the reasoning behind this, or are you still going to storm out on me?”

 

“What, I’m not enough for you all of a sudden?” Bucky demanded sharply, still hurt but now mostly confused as to why Steve wanted more than just him alone.

 

“That’s not it.” Steve said, his voice even as his gaze met Bucky’s. “I love you, Buck. More than anything. I don’t want you to ever doubt that.”

 

“Then why are you talking about one of us marrying some woman we’ve never met?”

 

“I was thinking the both of us. Not just you, not just me, but _us._ Together.”

 

“Both of us.” Bucky repeated flatly, confusion growing with every word out of Steve’s mouth.

 

“We see if Reverend Coulson would consider a three-way wedding. We each marry her, and we marry each other.”

 

“Aside from that not being legal, I need you to tell me why we should bring in a third person.”

 

“A woman, specifically.” Steve hastily corrected, “I know we’ve talked about children, about maybe adopting an orphan or two in time, but having children a more natural way would be easier and make more sense. In time I’d get to hold your child, and you’d hold mine.” Steve was so earnest as he spoke, explaining his thinking, that Bucky remembered one of the reasons he fell in love with the man in the first place. He was so strong in his convictions.

 

“Shit.” Bucky said as he sat back in his seat, mulling it over. He was sure he’d be able to love an orphan just as much as he would a child of his own blood, but to possibly be able to parent Steve’s child? It was a tempting thought.

 

“We also wouldn’t have to worry about housework, cooking, or keeping up with the garden.” Steve added. “I’m sure we’d manage by ourselves, but it would be better if we had another person.”

 

“You know that this won’t exactly be legal.” Bucky pointed out. “It’s bigamy at best.”

 

“I don’t care if it’s legal, as long as I have you.” Steve countered, making Bucky grin at the sappiness of his words, “And it isn’t the same as regular bigamy; we would all know about it and agree to it up front. It would be us giving up each other for another person, or her tied to just one of us. We’d have to learn to work as a unit, but… I know we can do it, Bucky. If we can get her to agree.”

 

“No sane woman is going to agree to this.”

 

“We won’t know until we try.” Steve managed a smile, one that Bucky half-heartedly returned. “So, you’re willing to try it? To ask her at least?”

 

“If she says yes… Then I’m willing to try it.” Bucky’s smiled widened, “Going to be interesting to hear what Reverend Coulson says about this.”

 

“I expect he’ll have plenty to say on the matter.” Steve agreed, “But more importantly, I think he’d actually agree to performing the ceremony.”

 

“Let’s hope he does. If she agrees.”

 

“If she agrees.” Steve paused, “What do you know about her?”

 

“Next to nothing. Come on. Put a shirt on and we’ll go ask Becks. She can tell us what she knows. She’s the one that picked her out, she has to know something.”

 

Steve stood and went to grab his discarded shirt, when Bucky realized that he hadn’t told Steve the evening’s good news yet.

 

“You know, however this turns out, you can move in tomorrow morning.” Bucky ventured. “Becca and Booth are getting married tomorrow. It’s why she brought a bride out in the first place, to look after me so she could go off and get married.”

 

Steve looked over, smiling, brightening up at the news. “About time the two of them got married.” He tugged his shirt on and tucked it in, before pulling up his suspenders. “I’ll pack this place up a bit tonight. Won’t take all that much to move in to your house.”

 

“I’ll help. I’ve been looking forward to you moving in for long enough that I want it over and done with.” Bucky stood and stretched.

 

“Me too, Buck.” Steve moved to Bucky, wrapping an arm around him and kissing him with a tenderness that might be surprising to others, but didn’t surprise Bucky in the least. Bucky kissed him right back, just as tender, but with a little more heat. “Come on.” Steve murmured, “Let’s go talk to Becca, then work on moving me in. We might manage to get me in tonight.”

 

“Having you in my bed tonight sounds like the best idea in the whole history of ideas.”

 

Steve chuckled, releasing Bucky and heading out the door.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay in updating. The characters told me that certain things had to change, so the story had to undergo a drastic re-write, starting with this chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our heroes and heroine meet, an agreement is reached, and weddings are performed.

Bucky drove the wagon into town late Saturday afternoon. Becca’s carpet bag and the three pasteboard boxes tied shut that contained all of her belongings were resting in the back of the wagon, waiting to be transferred into Isaac’s buggy after the wedding. Both were dressed in their Sunday best; Becca in a rich china blue on white sprigged cotton print that brought out her eyes and was cut in the fashionable bustle style, Bucky in a gray suit with dark maroon shirt and black tie. Steve rode beside the wagon on his silver dapple Morgan, also dressed in his best, a black suit with a slate colored shirt and black tie. The two pinto horses that pulled the wagon were clearly feeling a bit frisky, arching their necks and prancing a bit as they trotted into town.

 

“Oh dear.” Becca sighed as they came to town and could see the stagecoach already rumbling down the main street. “We’re dreadfully late getting her.” The stage stopped in Babel only half an hour, long enough to change horses and buy one of the boxed lunches that the livery owner’s wife sold. Simple fare of bread, butter, cheese, and an apple, but welcome after a forty-mile drive from Cobb City.

 

“I counted on the stage being late. Stagecoaches and trains always run late.” Bucky said, feeling a little guilty at that. If they had left when Becca had said they should, they would have been in time to meet the stage and welcome Eevie down from it.

 

Eevie. Bucky had said it several times the night before when he was lying in bed with Steve, wondering at what the next day would bring. It was a friendly, approachable name, not as stiff and formal as Evelyn. He just hoped that the name reflected the woman, though he supposed a stuck-up woman or someone who felt all high and mighty wouldn’t want their name to be shortened.

 

He drew closer to the livery stable and the stagecoach stop. There was a bench outside the livery for those who were waiting for the stage, and on this bench sat a young woman in a dress the yellow color of sunflowers that was trimmed in black, with a somewhat squashed looking black bonnet that looked more like a mourning bonnet than anything else perched atop her head. Bucky parked the wagon near to the livery and hurried down while Steve tied his horse to the wagon and dismounted, the young woman looking up expectantly. This close Bucky could see the hope on her face, hope that she hadn’t been forgotten and left on the side of the street.

 

“I don’t know that I can do this.” Bucky said quietly.

 

“We’ll do it together.” Steve promised just as quietly, giving a smile that Bucky returned reflexively.

 

Bucky and Steve came around the wagon and approached her. She stood quickly, and Bucky noticed that she was about Becca’s height, close to half a foot shorter than he was. Her brown hair was coming out of the pins beneath the bonnet, a few tendrils escaping. The dress—which he had thought to be far too fine for a mere orphan at first—showed its wear on closer inspection; cuffs slightly frayed and the black, beaded trim broken and missing beads in places, and a few other little things that gave away the age of the gown. The long sleeves and high neck had to be stifling in the August heat; he knew that he was feeling a bit warm himself, and suddenly he was not certain if it was from the heat or the woman in front of him. That was an odd thing to realize, that he could still respond to a woman despite what he shared with Steve.

 

“Miss Carpenter?” He asked, feeling relieved that Steve was at his side. He could face anything with Steve beside him.

 

“Yes. Are you Bucky? Mister Barnes, I mean.” She hastily corrected herself, and he smiled to reassure her.

 

“Bucky is fine.” He assured her. “Especially given the circumstances.”

 

“Then you should call me Eevie.” She said softly, smiling up at him. Her pale face was slightly smudged with traces of soot and dust from her long days of travelling, and Bucky found it rather endearing. She looked to Steve, still smiling, but there was ill-concealed curiosity in her gaze. “Hello, Mister…?”

 

“Rogers. Steve Rogers, but you can call me Steve.” Steve smiled kindly at her, but Bucky could sense that Steve was just as nervous as he was.

                                                         

“Steve is… Steve is my best friend. And a bit more than that.” At Eevie’s confused look, Bucky motioned to the bench, “We should sit a moment and talk.”

 

She hesitated. “I’ve been sitting for days. If it’s all the same to you, I’d rather stand.”

 

“Suit yourself.” Bucky took a breath. “Though some of this might come as a bit of a shock.”

 

“If I need to, I’ll sit.” She said, and now she was wary, “But I’m made of sterner stuff than most.”

 

“Right.” Bucky took a breath, then looked to Steve, who gave him an encouraging nod. Bucky turned back to Eevie. “Best get it over with quickly. You were brought here under false pretenses.” When she frowned slightly, clearly confused, he hurried on. “I didn’t place the ad for a bride, or exchange letters with you. That was my sister. I didn’t even know you were coming until last night.”

 

Eevie paled visibly. “Your sister?” She asked weakly.

 

“My sister, Becca. See, she wants to go off and get married, but thought she needed to find me a missus before she could. She didn’t know that I already had a mister.”

 

“A mister?” Eevie’s brow furrowed in puzzlement, and a small crease appeared between her eyebrows. Then her eyes widened in realization, and her gaze snapped to Steve, staring at him in shock. Steve gave a half-hearted smile and a nod.

 

“That would be me.”

 

“So you didn’t…” She looked so lost and forlorn that Bucky wanted to take her in his arms and tell her it would be all right, but he couldn’t do that. It wasn’t proper for one, and for two, he didn’t want to lie to her and tell her it would be all right when he wasn’t certain it would be. “You don’t want me here.” She finished, clearly forcing her voice to remain strong and steady even as she was blinking back tears.

 

“Not exactly.” Steve hastened, “There’s a bit more too it than just that.”

 

“More to it?” She asked, “How much more can there be? And to be honest, Mister Rogers, I don’t know that I can handle anything else right now.”

 

“We’re hoping you can handle this. Like you said, you’re made of sterner stuff than most.” Bucky cajoled, “See, Stevie and I… We love each other. We’ve loved each other for years, and can’t imagine our lives without one another, for all that we’re both fellas.”

 

Eevie bit her lower lip, nodding, and it was easy to see that tears were imminent, despite the brave face she was trying to keep. Steve continued on for Bucky, speaking quickly, but clearly, for all that he kept his voice low so that they couldn’t be easily overheard.

 

“But we both know we can’t keep this just between the two of us. Bucky and I both want children someday, and a man generally needs a wife to have children and look after them. Also for looking after the house, making it into a home instead of just a place to hang your hat. So, last night, after we found out you were coming, we got to talking about you and your arrival, and came to the decision that, if you are amenable to it, we could have a three-way marriage.”

 

“A three-way marriage?” She asked weakly, not quite understanding what they meant.

 

“It just means you would be getting two husbands for the price of one.” Bucky gave his most charming grin, and she stared at him in silence a moment, before speaking again.

 

“You can’t be serious.”

 

“We are very serious.” Steve promised.

 

“We mean every word of it.” Bucky agreed.

 

She remained silent for several minutes, and Bucky was about ready to offer to drive her back to Cobb City so she could catch a train to wherever she wanted, but then she spoke again, and her words gave him hope that she wouldn’t leave them just yet.

 

“How would we even make that work?”

 

“Like any other marriage, I suspect. We’d figure it out as we go along, but need to be open and understanding with one another, as well as willing to work together to build our relationships.” Steve said.

 

“Men seem to think they hold the monopoly on having multiple spouses.” Bucky tried to explain, “But we looked at that and reasoned if a man could have more than one wife, why couldn’t a woman have more than one husband?”

 

She worried her lower lip between here teeth, nodding at that reasoning, her eyes still on the ground. She was silent for a while, clearly thinking hard about what they had suggested.

 

“So… You want me to marry the both of you.”

 

“And for us to marry each other. Have it done so all three of us are married to one another.” Bucky agreed.

 

“And you two… Want everything that marriage entails?” She ventured.

 

“Every bit of it.” Steve agreed, “It won’t be just Bucky and me with you coming in just as a housekeeper or anything like that. It would be a real marriage, and you would be an equal partner in it, just as we will.”

 

She looked up at them then, looking from one to the other. “Will this even be legal? If we do this, I mean.”

 

“Well,” Bucky sighed, “Probably not in the eyes of the law, but Reverend Coulson will probably agree to make it right in the eyes of the Lord, and we figure that’s what matters most.”

 

“I’m fairly certain that the laws of men are just as important as the laws of Heaven here.” She pointed out, “You said probably? You don’t know if the Reverend will agree or not?”

 

“We haven’t had time to ask him yet, but he tends to keep a pretty open mind.” Steve smiled his most charming smile. It seemed to have little effect on Eevie, who straightened and took a deep breath.

 

“I will agree to this on the condition that the Reverend agrees to perform the ceremony and bless the union. If he refuses, you have to help me find a place to stay and a way to support myself, or send me back to Vermont. Agreed?”

 

“Agreed, but I’m pretty certain it won’t come to that.” Bucky grinned, “See, even if he won’t marry us—and we’re pretty sure he will marry us—there are quite a few unmarried men in town.”

 

“So, you would just find someone else for me to marry?”

 

“If it comes to that, which it won’t.” Bucky agreed. “You did come to Babel to get married, right?”

 

Eevie smiled slightly at that. “Right.” She agreed.

 

Bucky finally looked away from her and to the moth-eaten carpetbag at her feet. “Is this all your luggage?”

 

“Yes.” She bent to pick up the carpet bag just as he bent and reached for it, their heads colliding and knocking his hat off and her bonnet back, making them both draw back from one another. She reached up to rub her forehead, a giggle escaping her at the absurdity of the situation. Her giggle made Bucky grin as he reached up to rub his own head; that had been quite a knock, and that she was smiling about it was a good sign.

 

“Guess you’re getting introduced to his hard-headedness early on.” Steve drawled. Eevie’s smile widened, and she bit her lips together to try and keep from laughing, but they could see the humor bubbling through her. She could only hold back the laughter for a moment, and then the merry peals were filling the air, their own laughter joining hers almost immediately after. Bucky reached down and picked up her carpetbag in one hand and his hat in the other, while she reached up to adjust her bonnet.

 

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh, but I’ve always been a nervous giggler, and with being nervous about meeting you, being in a strange place, and what we just discussed… I think the slightest thing would have set me off.” She tried to explain.

 

“Don’t apologize. Not for the laughing or being nervous. It was funny,” Bucky leaned a bit closer to her, lowering his voice to a conspiratorial whisper, “And to be honest, I’m a bit nervous myself. Ain’t every day that a body gets married. It’s something worth getting nervous over.”

 

“I feel the same way.” Steve added, “It’s a big change and a new beginning for all of us.”

 

She smiled, relief in her olive-green eyes. “I’m glad you both understand.”

 

“I’m glad too.” Bucky said quietly, “And I’m especially glad that you’re the one who stepped off that stage and waited for us.” She flushed like a rose at the compliment, and Steve gave him a grin that said he knew exactly what Bucky was about. Bucky had been a well-known flirt back in Brooklyn, practically oozing charm and charisma, and he was trying to recapture his old self here to help set Eevie at ease and make her feel better about her decision.

 

“I’m sorry we were late. We expected the stage to be late, so we didn’t start out as early as we should have.” Steve offered Eevie an arm, which she took after a moment. “Come to the wagon and we’ll introduce you to Buck’s sister, Becca. She’s the one who brought you out here.”

 

“And she’s going to be marrying today as well?”

 

“That was the plan, as long as you don’t object. Though if you _do_ object, Becca might try to smother you in your sleep.” Bucky said casually as they neared the wagon, his words loud enough for Becca to hear. “Becca and her beau, Isaac Booth, have been courting for a few years now, and they’re anxious to start married life.”

 

“I wouldn’t smother you, but I might be very cross.” Becca smiled down at Eevie from the wagon seat. “Thought probably not as cross as you must be right now. I’m Rebecca, but everyone has always called me Becca.”

 

“It’s nice to meet you, Becca. I’m Evelyn, but everyone calls me Eevie.” Eevie said as Steve helped her up onto the wagon. “And… I _sort_ of understand why you found your brother a bride without talking to him about it. I can’t tell you that I’m particularly pleased about this situation, but there isn’t any use in crying over it now.”

 

“I’m so relieved you feel that way. That there’s no use in crying about it now.” Becca reached and took one of Eevie’s hands in hers, “Did you agree to their plan for a three-way marriage?”

 

“I did.”

 

“Oh, I’m so glad! They’re both good men, and will make excellent husbands, though I am a little biased when it comes to them. And it is going to be so nice having a sister, even if she is on the other side of town!”

 

“And what about me?” Bucky asked as he placed Eevie’s carpetbag in the wagon, directly behind the two women.

 

“I’ve had you as a brother all my life,” Becca said dismissively, though there was a smile on her face. “I’ll miss having you so nearby, of course, but I don’t think either one of us is going to be lonely enough that we’ll be wishing things were the way they had been before today.”

 

“Think I agree with you.” Bucky said as he came around and got into the wagon while Steve untied his horse and mounted up. Bucky released the brake and urged the team into a walk, while Becca smiled and pointed places in the small town out to Eevie. It was only a few minutes to reach second street from main, and then the parsonage. Bucky stopped the team near the parsonage, seeing Isaac’s buggy there already. He watched as Isaac stepped down from the buggy, holding what looked to be two bouquets of wildflowers.

 

“Well ladies, here we are.” Bucky grinned over at Becca and Eevie. “You two ready to get married?”

 

“Oh yes!” Becca grinned, eager to get down, while Eevie simply nodded. Bucky got down from the wagon and helped Becca down, while Steve came around to help Eevie down, earning a smile of gratitude. Isaac waited by the wagon for them to approach, and then offered a bouquet of flowers to each of the women.

 

 “I thought the two of you might want flowers to hold.” He said, as Becca buried her nose in the blooms and inhaled their fragrance.

 

“Thank you, Isaac. I felt like something was missing this morning.” Becca smiled up at her soon-to-be husband. He smiled down at her lovingly, but then Becca reached out and drew Eevie closer. “Isaac, this is Eevie, Steve and Bucky’s intended. Eevie, this is my beau Isaac Booth.”

 

Isaac’s brow furrowed, displaying his confusion. “Steve and Bucky’s?”

 

“It’s a bit of a complicated story.” Becca sighed.

 

“When Becca sent off for Eevie, she didn’t know that Steve and I were planning a bachelor marriage.” Bucky said a bit coolly, having been told how the original idea had been Isaac’s. The other man blanched, shocked by their words.

 

“I had no idea.”

 

“Well, as you only had eyes for Becca, we can understand that you would be a bit blind to the others around you.” Steve said amiably. “It’s led us to decide that we should try a different sort arrangement between the three of us; Eevie, Bucky, and myself.”

 

“We’re going to have a three-way marriage.” Bucky added almost defiantly.

 

“ _If_ the reverend agrees to bless the union.” Eevie countered.

 

The tone of Steve’s rebuttal reflected his confidence as much as the words themselves did. “He’ll agree.”

 

“We’ll see.” Isaac said, frowning slightly, before looking to Eevie. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss Eevie.” He said even as he offered Becca his arm. She released Eevie and took it, smiling up at him. “Reverend Coulson is waiting for us.

 

“We’d best keep him from waiting too long.” Bucky offered Eevie his arm, which she took with a shy smile, Steve moving to stand by her other side and offering his arm, which she took awkwardly due to the bouquet she carried. Steve took it from her and held it in his other hand, earning another shy smile from Eevie, which he returned.

 

Thus united, the three followed Becca and Isaac up to the door of the parsonage.

 

Reverend Coulson answered the door and smiled to see them, stepping aside and inviting them into his sitting room, but he paused when he saw that Eevie was with both Bucky and Steve, and not just Bucky.

 

“Mister Booth, Miss Barnes, I’ve been wondering when I’d see you two come before me.” He said pleasantly, and then he smiled kindly at Eevie. “Miss Carpenter, it is a pleasure to meet you.”

 

“It’s good to meet you, Reverend.” Eevie said softly.

 

“Now, would someone like to tell me what is going on with the three of you? I thought you would be marrying Mister Barnes, but I see you are also arm in arm with Mister Rogers.

 

Eevie flushed at that, looking down. Steve was the one to answer.

 

“We have an… Unorthodox request. We hoped that you could perform a three-way marriage between us. Bucky to Eevie, Eevie and I, and also Bucky and I.”

 

Reverend Coulson blinked in surprise, as if he hadn’t quite caught what Steve had said. “A three-way marriage? The three of you all bound to one another?”

 

“Yes.” Bucky said tightly, a knot of worry in his gut. He knew they might need to talk Reverend Coulson into performing the ceremony, but actually standing before the man and having the conversation was a bit daunting.

 

“You know that an arrangement such as that won’t be legal.” Reverend Coulson warned.

 

“Maybe not in the eyes of the law, but we’re hoping it would be all right in the eyes of the lord.” Steve ventured, “If Solomon could have a hundred wives, and Jacob four, there shouldn’t be anything wrong with a woman having two husbands.”

 

“And those husbands being married to one another, is that it?” Reverend Coulson asked drily. “You know that the bible has some pretty strong words against two men being together like that.”

 

Steve winced at that, and Bucky looked down at the floor before looking up at the reverend. “We’ve done a bit of talking about that. The parts of the bible that talk about men being with other men don’t say anything about love, so we figure that, since God made love, and _is_ love, that it’s different when two men truly love each other the way Steve and I do.”

 

Coulson looked at Bucky evenly, before a small smile curled his lips. “Well. I can’t argue with that reasoning.” He looked to Eevie, “And how do you feel about this? Are you willing to bind yourself to two men who are also bound to one another?”

 

“Yes, sir. As long as it’s sanctified in the eyes of the Lord.”

 

Coulson looked at her for several minutes, then looked to Bucky, then to Steve. “All right. I have no argument against performing this marriage, but you three need to decide which marriage between man and wife will be the one I put down on the license.”

 

“Eevie and Bucky.” Steve said without hesitation, “She came out to marry him in the first place, that should be the legal union.”

 

“Very well.” Coulson agreed. “And you three will stand as witnesses for Mister Booth and Miss Barnes, and vice versa?” They all answered in the affirmative. “Excellent. If no one has any objections, we’ll let Mister Booth and Miss Barnes go first, as they’ve been waiting the longest.” Reverend Coulson was teasing them a bit, but it was kind teasing, meant in good humor. It was enough to make everyone smile.

 

“No objections here, Reverend. It’s about time those two tied the knot.” Bucky grinned over at the couple.

 

“All right, then.” Reverend Coulson smiled, “Let’s get these weddings underway before anyone gets cold feet.”

 

Eevie managed to smile and give another slight bob of her head in a nod at that, Bucky and Steve shared fond smiles.

 

The ceremonies were brief and simple, Isaac and Becca wed first. Isaac needed no prompting in kissing his bride, and the kiss that the two shared was not quite as chaste as the occasion called for. Bucky cleared his throat, and Becca pulled away, flushed and laughing. Then it was Bucky and Eevie’s turn.

 

As he spoke after Reverend Coulson, he looked into the pale face of his bride and liked what he saw, from her wide green eyes and rosebud lips that were made for smiling down to the smudge of dust on one cheek. He drank in her appearance as they repeated their vows after the Reverend, and then Coulson was saying that he could kiss her.

 

Bucky bowed his head and pressed his lips to hers, feeling a fire race through him as he tasted the sweet softness of those lips. He kept tight control so that he did not get carried away as Isaac and Becca had; realizing immediately that it would be all too easy to lose control while kissing this woman. Then he was drawing back, smiling down at Eevie, who gave him a shy smile, looking as flushed and breathless as he felt.

 

Maybe being married wouldn’t be such a terrible thing after all. Not when a simple kiss felt like all that. It puzzled him though, how her kisses could feel so similar to the ones he shared with Steve, but so different at the same time.

 

Then it was time for Eevie and Steve to wed. The ceremony was just as short, just as sweet, but when it came time for their kiss, it was similar to Isaac and Becca’s; a little more heated than the occasion called for, and certainly lingering longer than they should. This time is was Coulson who cleared his throat, causing the two to pull apart. Eevie’s face was flushed, both from embarrassment and the heat of the kisses she had received in the span of the last ten minutes, while Steve looked a little sheepish.

 

When it was time for Bucky and Steve to wed, Bucky went to Steve’s side quite eagerly. At the close of the ceremony, Coulson didn’t have a chance to tell them to kiss one another before they did, tender and loving, Becca giggling slightly at how eager the two seemed. Steve and Bucky broke their kiss finally, and smiled at one another, the words they wanted to share going unspoken by both, but also acknowledged in each other’s gaze.

 

There were handshakes and congratulations all around, and both Isaac and Bucky slipped Reverend Coulson a bit of money for his time while Eevie and Becca were congratulating one another.

 

Reverend Coulson looked over the group newlyweds with an indulgent smile. “Now, will any of you be joining us tomorrow, or do you plan to keep to yourselves for a day or two?”

 

“I think we’ll keep to the farm tomorrow.” Bucky said after a moment of thought, “Let Eevie rest up. She’s been on the train and stage for days.”

 

“It will also give the three of you a bit more time to get better acquainted.” Reverend Coulson said rather innocently, though there was an amused twinkle in his eyes. Bucky had a feeling that if he wasn’t a man of God, he would be making a few ribald insinuations.

 

“That it will.” Steve said with a tight smile, trying not to imply anything. Isaac quickly spoke, taking the attention away from the trio.

 

“Becca and I will likely attend services as usual tomorrow, Reverend. We’ll see you then.” He looked to Bucky, “I’d like to get Becca’s things from the wagon, if that’s all right.”

 

“More than all right.” Bucky said, inclining his head to the Reverend once more, turning to leave. “Becks, we’re going to get your things moved to Booth’s wagon.”

 

“We’ll follow you out.” Becca smiled at her brother, before going to thank Reverend Coulson once more, Eevie on her heels. Bucky walked to his wagon, lifting one of the pasteboard boxes so he could had it to Isaac.

 

“You know that this means Becca’ll be leaving town with me.” Isaac said quietly as he accepted the box.

 

“I know.” Bucky said. “Her wedding day is the only day I can drive her into town and let someone else drive her home. Up until the wedding, it was my job to keep her safe and take care of her. That’s on you now.”

 

“I’ll do everything in my power to keep her safe and happy.” Isaac said quietly as Bucky turned to heft up another pasteboard box.

 

“I know.” Bucky grinned at him, placing the second box atop the first in Isaac’s arms. “Or else I wouldn’t have let her marry you.”

 

Isaac chuckled. “I would have liked to see you try and stop her. When Becca sets her mind to something…”

 

“I think I can out-stubborn my own sister.”

 

“The Barnes siblings are known for their stubbornness.” Isaac agreed, turning and carrying the two boxes to his buggy while Bucky picked up the last box and put Becca’s carpetbag atop it, easily telling Becca and Eevie’s carpetbags apart. He carried his small burden to the buggy, then strode to where Becca and Eevie stood speaking.

 

“… And I did a baking yesterday, so you’ll have fresh bread for a few days. We just washed and filled the straw ticks, so you won’t need to worry about that until fall cleaning.” Becca was saying, trying to explain things to Eevie.

 

“Becca.” Bucky said softly, catching her attention. “It’s about time to be going now.”

 

Becca looked to him and gave him a tremulous smile. “I know. I just… Oh, I’m going to miss you.” She suddenly was hugging Bucky, and he wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight as he hugged her fiercely.

 

“What’s this about missing me? I’m only going to be a few miles away.” Bucky kept his tone reassuring and comforting. “I’m going to miss you too, Becks. Don’t know what I’ll do without you, but the both of us have to soldier on somehow. And we’ll see each other on Sundays, at least.”

 

“I know.” She pulled away after a minute, her eyes shining with unshed tears as she smiled up at him, then over to Eevie. “You take care of him for me, all right? He’s the only brother I’ve got.”

 

“I’ll do my best.” Eevie promised her, giving her a reassuring smile of her own. “How could I let my new sister down like that?”

 

Becca’s smile brightened, and then Isaac came up alongside her. “Everything will be fine, Rebecca. You’ll see.” He assured her.

 

Later, as Bucky drove to the farm with Eevie beside him on the wagon seat and Steve riding his horse alongside, he agreed with Isaac.

 

Everything would be fine. They just had to wait and see.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they reach the Barnes-Rogers homestead.

Eevie sat beside Bucky on the wagon seat, Steve on his horse riding on the other side of her, the conversation between the three of them petering out. What conversation there had been thus far had been little more than idle small talk, as Eevie was struck by a feeling of shyness as they left the town. She was too nervous to ask even the simplest of questions, such as what their favorite colors were, what they preferred to eat, what they liked to do when they were not working the farm. Things she should know about them, things she would have known if they had courted like a normal folks, but… Nothing about being a mail order bride was normal. Nothing about the situation she found herself in currently was normal. Not for the first time, she wondered what had possessed her to agree to their hare-brained plan. She had assumed the Reverend would refuse, and that would be that, but he hadn’t refused, so she had to stand by her word.

 

She was regretting that, a bit. She had been worried about how she would handle one husband that she hardly knew. Now she had two. And they were in love with one another.

 

She wondered what Missus Murphy or Missus Callum would say, and realized that this was not something she could tell them. Lydia however… She could tell Lydia and hope that her friend kept the secret. She might have advice, might have a knowing that would help. It was her knowing that got Eevie into this situation in the first place, after all.

 

“Did Becca tell you that the house was made of sod?” Bucky asked suddenly, his rich voice filling the silence. Eevie loved Bucky and Steve’s voices, could listen to them for hours without tiring of it, she was certain.

 

“No. What do you mean, made of sod?” She asked, a little worried. Sod like the ground? How could a house be made of sod?

 

“It’s made of bricks of cut up sod. Prairie grasses have such thick roots that you can cut up chunks of the ground to use as bricks. It’s a good, solid house.” Steve explained, “Stays warmer than a wooden house in the winter, cooler in the summer. Bucky laid in a wood floor last year, and the walls are plastered inside and out.” He sounded a little nervous; and he was right to feel it. Springing two husbands instead of one on a woman, and then telling her she would be living in a soddie? It was more than most women could bear, he was sure.

 

“The house is made from dirt?” Eevie asked, her gut tightening and a slow creeping dread washing over her at the thought of living in a house made from dirt.

 

“Bricks are made from dirt.” Bucky frowned.

 

“Bricks are made from clay.” Steve countered with a bit of a grin, earning a glare from Bucky.

 

“Clay is a type of dirt.” Came Bucky’s rejoinder, tone sharp.

 

“Clay is a specific type of dirt that has been used to make things for centuries, but… A dirt house? Whoever heard of such a thing?” Eevie wondered aloud.

 

“Most of the settlers here on the prairie have sod houses, or at least sod barns. There’s not much in the way of lumber here, and when a fellow is just starting out he can’t afford a fine house.” Bucky said a bit coldly.

 

“Buck.” Steve said warningly.

 

“I meant no offense.” Eevie said hastily, “It’s just going to be a bit of an adjustment, is all.” What was she thinking, arguing with them? Bucky was going to turn right around and put her back on the stagecoach if she kept along like this. She gentled her tone, “Everything is going to be an adjustment.” She confessed, allowing herself to briefly acknowledge how lost and overwhelmed by everything she truly felt, “The only life I can remember is inside the walls of the orphanage. I’m sorry. They did their best to prepare us for life outside the orphanage, but…” She sighed.

 

“No one said anything about sod houses?” Bucky asked after a moment.

 

Eevie’s lips quirked in a smile. “No one said anything about sod houses.” She agreed.

 

“Or about marriage to more than one man?” Steve asked sympathetically.

 

“Or that.” She agreed, “Honestly, if Missus Murphy or Reverend and Missus Callum had known that I was going to marry two men instead of one, they never would have let me on that train.”

 

“Would you have gotten on the train, if you had known there were two men waiting for you, and not just one?” Steve asked her.

 

Eevie looked down at her hands. “I honestly don’t know.” She confessed finally.

 

“Well, that’s better than a resounding ‘no’.” Bucky ventured.

 

She gave him a small smile. “I suppose it is.”

 

“So, what did they tell you about?” Steve asked, giving Eevie and Bucky a sidelong look.

 

“Basic schooling and how to take care of a family.” She confessed, “I can sew, knit, crochet, cook, tend a garden, take care of babies and children; everything a young woman should know before going out into the world.”

 

“One of Becca’s chores was tending the garden.” Bucky said, “You can take over now that she’s not here. They teach you how to preserve the food?”

 

“Yes. And I know how to make things stretch. From fabric to food.”

 

Steve smiled slightly at that. “Thriftiness is good. We’re not rich, but we don’t need to count every cent too carefully. Not right now, at least.”

 

“Better to watch them now so there is more saved when times are lean.” She pointed out.

 

“True enough.” They lapsed into silence again for a time.

 

“What was it like, growing up in an orphanage?” Bucky finally asked.

 

“I don’t have anything to compare it to, really.” She mused. “It was very much like most other people’s childhoods, I suppose. Only with a lot of brothers and sisters and no parents. We had the matron of the orphanage, and the Reverend and his wife, and the volunteers who would help sometimes. The older children would watch and care for the younger, and we all had chores to do to take care of the orphanage. The older boys would sometimes be hired or apprenticed out to work on nearby farms, or to learn a trade in town. Sometimes we girls would work in town as well, mostly doing sewing but sometimes cooking and cleaning.” She explained. “What was it like for the two of you? Growing up, I mean.”

 

“We grew up in New York. Brooklyn.” Bucky was the one to answer, “It was our parents’ dream to save up enough and come out west to get homesteads, get us away from the city. Our folks made plans to get homesteads next to each other when they had saved enough, but then Steve’s parents died of consumption and mine took him in so he didn’t get sent off to an orphanage. We all worked to save up enough money to come out here, but then we all got sick. Scarlet fever. Took both my parents. It was pretty close for Becca, but she managed to pull through.”

 

“I’m glad you still had her and Steve.” Eevie said softly.

 

“So am I.” Bucky said quietly. “I miss my parents every day, but at least I still have Steve and Becca. None of us were left on our own.”

 

“I wouldn’t wish being left alone on anyone.”

 

For a moment Bucky wished the ground would open up and swallow him, realizing how insensitive his words had been. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean-”

 

“It’s all right.” She smiled at him, linking her arm with his and giving it a light squeeze. “I know you didn’t mean anything by it. I can’t remember anything but the orphanage, and we weren’t really alone there. There were always others to spend time with. Finding time to be alone was actually rather difficult.”

 

“Never thought about that.” Steve mused, smiling over at the two. “Good way to look at it.”

 

“I suppose. So, you three decided that you would come west after Bucky’s parents passed on?”

 

“Yes. After they died, we took everything we had saved, sold everything we didn’t think we’d need, and headed West. We wound up here, and Bucky and I took up farming. It was hard, the first couple of years, because we had almost no idea what we were doing even though we’d been reading about farming since we were young, but we managed to figure it out, and now we’re doing pretty well for ourselves.” The low sod buildings that made up the farm were coming into view. “That’s our farm, up ahead.”

 

Eevie felt a rush of happiness run through her. _Their_ farm. She felt included in that word when Steve said it, that he didn’t mean just him and Bucky, but all three of them. She didn’t know that she could ever tell him how much that simple word meant to her, didn’t know that she ever would. It would probably seem like such a silly thing to both of them, wanting to belong as badly as she did.

 

As they drew closer to the farm she could see the two sod buildings more clearly. They were a bit bigger than she had expected, their white plaster exteriors bright in the afternoon sun. She had assumed the house would be a one room cabin, but from a distance it looked like a proper house, only with grass growing on the roof. She could see the large garden set off to one side, and was impressed by both the size and how green it all looked. There were two cows picketed further away from the buildings, their calves gamboling beside them as their mothers placidly worked on eating the long grass. She didn’t realize she was smiling until she felt her cheeks began to ache. She turned to Bucky to ask him about the farm, only to find he was smiling at her. She looked over at Steve, and he was as well.

 

“What?” She asked, a bit nervously.

 

“We’re glad you’re happy here.” Bucky said simply, before grinning, a twinkle in his stormy eyes, “Even though the buildings are made of dirt.”

 

She laughed at that, looking towards the buildings again as he turned the horses onto the half circle drive that led up to the house. “It doesn’t look like it’s made from dirt at all. Even with the grass growing on the roof.”

 

“You were expecting a claim shanty of some kind.” Steve accused with a smile, pleased that she wasn’t looking down her nose at the little house Bucky and Becca had called home for the past six years.

 

“All right, I was.” She lifted her chin up slightly. “And I’ll admit to being ignorant about life on the prairie, but I’m willing to learn.”

 

“Good. Because you’ve got a lot to learn about being a farmer’s wife.” Bucky said as he drew the wagon to a stop in front of the house, Steve riding on towards the building that could only be the stable. “Steve or I will bring your bag in after we see to the horses. Feel free to look around the house, get a feel for things.”

 

“Thank you.” She smiled at him, before carefully getting down from the wagon and going to the front door, pausing with her hand on the latch.

 

“It won’t bite you!” He called as he urged the horses towards the barn.

 

“I should certainly hope not.” Eevie murmured, before pulling on the latch string and letting herself into the house.

 

It was cool in the shadowed interior, and four large windows let light into the room. The windows were large and evenly spaced, two on either side of the door and then two in identical positions on the far wall. The far wall was where the cookstove was, larger than she had expected and beautifully blackened. Well-made shelves served as a pantry, the shelves filled with jars and canisters of foodstuffs.  There were more shelves closer to the stove, these holding a wide variety of pots and pans as well as the tableware and cutlery. A drop leaf table covered in a red and white checked tablecloth and with six mismatched chairs surrounding it stood to one side of the stove, a work table with a washbasin on it standing near the table but beneath one of the windows, another work table beneath the other kitchen window, giving a pleasant view of the growing garden, the prairie beyond, and the young trees growing in the distance on the tree claim. She wouldn’t mind doing the dishes or working at the other worktable with such a lovely view in front of her, Eevie thought with a bit of a smile.

 

There were two nearly identical armchairs in the area of the room set aside to be the sitting room, a rocker padded with comfortable looking cushions positioned so that it was between the two, forming a sort of triangle, tables with a kerosene lamp on each positioned between the armchairs and rocker. More shelves held a few books and assorted odds and ends, but the shelves seemed bare, as if they had been stripped of what they had once contained. Of course they had, Eevie told herself as realization came. Becca would have taken things with her to her new home with Isaac. She continued to look around, noting freshly washed and starched white muslin curtains trimmed in red calico and with red calico curtain ties in the windows, a striking compliment to the white plaster walls. On either side of the room there were large curtains of the same red calico that trimmed the window curtains, one in the center of the left wall, the other in the center of the right. The floor was laid wooden planks, made cheerful by brightly braded rag rugs placed around the large room. The entire room was airy and bright, a surprise to Eevie, who had expected something dark and dismal upon hearing that the house was made of sod.

 

Curious, she went to the curtain on her left, and found it to be a door leading into a bedroom with a comfortable wooden bed covered in a soft, faded quilt. There was a window in each of the side walls, the head of the bed up against the wall that had no windows and directly opposite the doorway; the windows hung with curtains identical to those in the kitchen. There was a well-constructed commode against one wall, a simple mirror hanging above it, toiletries and a shaving kit scattered around the washbasin and pitcher that rested atop the commode. There was another curtain of the red calico across two corners of the room, and Eevie peeked behind them, seeing that there were clothes hung up on wooden pegs driven into the wall. From the shaving kit and look of the clothing, she realized that this was Bucky and Steve’s room. Hers too, she reminded herself. Curious, she went to inspect the other room, to the right of the main room, finding a room nearly identical to the other; only the bed was stripped of its bedding, revealing the thick and sturdy fabric of the straw tick. There was a cheval mirror in one corner, while only an empty pitcher and basin rested atop the commode. She peeked behind the curtain in the corner, seeing the same wooden pegs, but nothing hanging from them.

 

She went back into the main room and slowly removed her bonnet, feeling grimy from her trip, and as if her very presence was soiling the neat interior of the house because of it. There was a terrible minute of feeling completely lost, and as if she did not belong in such a pleasant place, but she drew her shoulders back and held her head up high, silently telling herself that she _did_ belong, that they had chosen her as their wife and this was her home as well as his now, forever more.

 

 _Only, they didn’t choose you,_ an insidious little voice whispered inside her skull, _Becca did. They didn’t want a wife. They only wanted each other._

 

She swallowed hard, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall at that dismal thought. She had been so happy to finally go someplace where she was wanted, only to find she hadn’t been wanted at all. Not the way that she had thought she was. She was just an afterthought, a means to an end for Becca, and she supposed for Steve and Bucky as well. A vessel to give them children and someone to clean the house and tend the garden. They didn’t need her for anything more than that; they had each other for love and companionship. They didn’t need her, not really.

 

_They only suggested this because they felt sorry for you._

 

Bucky entered with her worn carpetbag in one hand and Steve close behind him, finding Eevie standing still in the middle of the main room, her bonnet in her hands. Bucky took a moment to admire her slim form, the slight russet tint to her brown hair, which was revealed to be in even more disarray than he had thought at first now that the bonnet was no longer on her head. She turned to look at him, and for a moment she looked so lost and vulnerable it made his heart ache. Then she was smiling, leaving him wondering if he had imagined her forlorn look.

 

“The house is lovely.” She said quietly.

 

“Becca’s work, mostly. I just built it and keep the walls plastered. She’s the one who made it look so nice.” He confessed.

 

“Turned a house into a home.” Eevie murmured, smile fading slightly. “I hope I can live up to her standards.”

 

Bucky hoped so too, but he didn’t say it. He knew that saying such a thing would not go over well; while sometimes he could be dense, he wasn’t _that_ dense, despite what his sister said. Instead, he lifted Eevie’s carpetbag slightly. “I’ll go put this on the bed in our room. I’ll need to whittle more pegs and drive them into the wall for your clothes. I’ll start working on that tomorrow.”

 

“We should just buy a wardrobe and a tall boy.” Steve countered.

 

“We can see about it, next time we’re in town.” Bucky shrugged.

 

“Thank you.” Eevie said softly, looking away, her gaze going to the windows and the spectacular view. “I won’t need much space, I only have this and two work dresses for everyday wear.” She looked down at her dress, grimy from soot from the train and dust from travel in the stagecoach. “I should change and see what needs doing.”

 

“You’ll need to start supper soon.” Steve said, as Bucky went to the bedroom. “I know it’s not much of a honeymoon, but with all the work that needs doing, we can’t take more than tomorrow off, and we only get that because tomorrow is Sunday.”

 

“That’s fine.” She said as she moved to the curtain covered door. As she reached for the curtain to pull it back Bucky drew the curtain back and stepped through, making Eevie stop short. Bucky smiled, then reached out and caught her hand, causing her to look at him, startled. He was smiling at her again, and drew her closer.

 

“Before we all go and change, there’s something I would like to do.” He murmured. Eevie blinked at him, heart beginning to pound in her chest. She was afraid to ask what it was, with such a wolfish look on his features. But then he had bowed his head and was brushing his lips against hers, giving her a slow, lingering kiss. She gasped when she felt his tongue caress the seam of her lips and he took that as an invitation, his tongue invading her mouth and caressing at hers, guiding her and teaching her how to share deep, openmouthed kisses. Kisses that were drawing forth feelings that were a little confusing; there was a flutter in her belly and a sort of ache that didn’t hurt, not exactly, lower down. Her breasts tingled slightly, her dress suddenly feeling too tight for her, where it had been fine moments earlier.

 

After what felt like both an eternity and somehow like only mere moments he pulled away, his lips red and swollen, hers a match for them. “I think we’re going to get along just fine.” He murmured huskily. “Hope we do, at least. We should, kisses like that.”

 

Eevie managed a nod, feeling a little dazed. Then Steve was there, reaching up to guide her to look at him. “I’d like to try that myself.” He murmured before lowering his head, lips meeting hers. She let out a tiny whimper into his mouth without realizing it, his kisses just as bewildering as Bucky’s. She could hear Bucky chuckle at the sound, and then they were releasing her, Steve moving to place a kiss on her temple. “Go and change. We’ll wait out here for our turn.”

 

She nodded, before hurrying into the bedroom, heart still hammering inside her chest. She hadn’t been certain what to expect from her husbands, or husband, back when she thought she would be marrying only one man, but nothing had prepared her to even consider expecting something like that. Someone should have warned her, she thought as she drew a red and brown calico work dress from her bag and laid it out, as well as a large homespun apron in butternut and walnut checks. As she began to work on the buttons running down the front of her travelling dress she pondered on the things their kisses made her feel.

 

 _What on Earth is wrong with me?_ She wondered as she quickly shed her travelling dress and pulled on the clean work dress, getting it buttoned swiftly. Was she really so wanton that a simple kiss from each man made her feel so desperate for their touches? The she could feel such pleasure from kissing not only one man, but two? Not that there had been anything simple about the kisses they had given her, she reasoned as she unpinned her hair and then pulled out her comb, gap-toothed from age and much use. She quickly combed out her hair before pinning it up into a simple, serviceable knot.

 

Eevie gathered up her dirty dress and folded it, setting it upon the floor in the corner, not wanting to put it in her carpetbag and soil the rest of her clothing. She placed the carpet bag beside it, withdrawing the book Missus Murphy had given her, and then stepped from the room. She saw Bucky and Steve in each other’s arms, murmuring to one another and sharing the occasional kiss, deep and tender, just like the ones they had given her. She flushed at the sight, the confusing sensations troubling her once more as she watched the two together. She coughed softly to catch their attention.

 

“I’m done.” She ventured as they released one another and turned to look at her. “Is there anything in particular you want for supper?”

 

“I’m sure we’ll be fine with whatever you cook.” Bucky frowned slightly, seeing the book in her hands. “What’s that?”

 

Eevie flushed slightly, before moving to him and holding the book out for inspection. “It’s ‘Beeton’s Book of Household Management’.” She explained. “It was given to me as a gift before I left. Missus Murphy, the woman in charge of the orphanage, said that every young woman should have one of these when starting her own household. The church and the trustees who are in charge of funding for the orphanage must agree, because every girl who leaves the orphanage to find work or marry is given one of these.”

 

Bucky was smiling now. “I got Becca a copy before we came out to Nebraska.” He told her, “Along with some books on farming, crops, and livestock for me.” He motioned to one of the shelves, where well-worn books sat, “Her copy of Beeton’s has practically been worn to shreds. It’s why I didn’t recognize it at first.”

 

“It’s a useful book. I read it on the train.” Eevie confessed, “I’ll go get supper started.”

 

“I brought in some new potatoes yesterday, and there’s plenty of salt pork in the pantry.” He motioned his head slightly in the direction of the shelves filled with food. “That and what we’ve got in the garden should be more than enough. Gardening basket is next to the slop jar.” He motioned in the direction of the washbasin, before heading into the bedroom, Steve following, though he paused to give Eevie a reassuring smile. Eevie took a breath and held it a moment before letting it out. She placed her book on the work table and took up what she assumed was the garden basket, before going outside to see what she could find to add to their dinner.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone is enjoying.
> 
> There might be a delay on the next chapter or two. Blame Blizzard for dropping a new World of Warcraft Expansion, and my ex for being the absolute worst kind of enabler and renewing my subscription.
> 
> I'll try to keep up with updates, but... I've been playing this game for almost fourteen years now. I know how I get when they release new content.
> 
> I also just inherited a four-year-old, so dealing with that has killed my writing time, and I know I shouldn't be playing games with a small child, but he will at least happily watch me do that over my shoulder. Writing smut, I can't really let that happen. Even if he can't read.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a wedding night is celebrated.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter has m/f/m triad smut in it.

Dinner was simple yet good. At least, Eevie thought it was good. Neither Steve or Bucky had complained, and there was nothing left when they were done, so she hoped they thought so as well. She stood and began to gather plates when Bucky pushed his chair back from the table.

 

“I’ll start hauling water from the well.” He said, earning a confused look from Eevie, who already had a large pot of water heating on the back of the stove.

 

“Bath night.” He said by way of explanation, and Eevie nodded her understanding. “I’ll fill the big pot and put it on the stove for you, then bring in the tub. We keep it in the toolshed against the barn when we’re not using it.”

 

“I can-”

 

“You’ll be doing it enough yourself come laundry day. Let one of us take care of the heavy lifting, at least for tonight.” Steve said rather gently.

 

She smiled at that. “All right.”

 

“Becca and I generally took turns bathing in the front room. We can do that tonight, if you’d like. Give each other a little privacy.” Bucky ventured.

 

Eevie felt a rush of gratitude. “Thank you.” She said softly, only for Bucky to grin at her.

 

“Don’t thank me too much. Next week I expect the three of us to scrub each other’s backs.” He grinned rakishly, and she flushed, turning away from him to put the dishes in the washbasin. She utilized the hot water liberally and worked quickly, scrubbing the dishes with a crochet dishcloth that had been hung over the edge of the basin to dry. Steve came up behind her as she scrubbed, and placed his hands on her waist, stepping so close that he was lightly pressed against her back.

 

“Don’t mind him.” Steve told her, lips brushing against her ear as he spoke, “Both of us are just a bit excited to have you here. Just as excited as the other, though we show it in different ways.”

 

“I’ll just have to get used to it. You showing in different ways.” She ventured.

 

“You’ll manage.” Steve assured her, before placing a kiss upon her shoulder and pulling away, giving her a smile as she half turned to look at him, startled. “One of the things you’ll have to get used to is that we’re both pretty affectionate with one another, so we’re going to be the same way with you.”

 

“I… All right.” She ventured, not used to demonstrations of affection.

 

“I know it’s a lot to take in, but like I said, you’ll manage.” Steve smiled at her, before stepping away so she could finish washing the dishes. She turned back to the washbasin, trying to gather her wits, which felt a bit scattered after Steve’s gentle attentions.

 

It took very little time for Eevie to finish with the dishes, but by the time she had everything cleaned, dried, and put away, the tin bathtub was in front of the stove and partially filled with cool water from the well, awaiting the water that was heating on the stove.

 

“You go first.” Steve instructed, “I’ll take out the dishwater while you get your nightgown.”

 

“I can wait, if either of you’d rather go first.”

 

“Waiting won’t hurt us any.” Was Bucky’s response as Steve went to heft out the washbasin. Eevie hurried to fetch her nightgown, and while Steve returned and put the basin back in its usual place, Bucky showed her the chest where the clean linens were kept, and where to find the container of slimy homemade lye soap. Then he and Steve went into their bedroom, and let the curtain fall closed, hiding her from their view.

 

Eevie took a breath, and then quickly stripped herself of her clothes, leaving them in a heap on the floor for the time being, something she never would have dared do back at the orphanage. Then she was pouring steaming water into the tub and testing the temperature, before stepping into the water and sinking down into it with a sigh of contentment. It wasn’t very deep, but it still felt luxurious to Eevie, after so long on the train and then on the stagecoach.

 

She allowed herself only a few moments to relax and soak, before she turned her attention to the business of getting clean. She scrubbed her hair first, before scrubbing at her body, and when she finally stood and gave herself a final rinse, she grimaced to see that the water in the tub had turned a murky gray from all the soot and dirt that had accumulated on her during her travels. She reached for the towel she had laid out and dried herself quickly before pulling on her nightgown and wrapping her hair up in the towel so that she could dry it in the bedroom while giving Steve and Bucky their own privacy to bathe.

 

Gathering up her clothes, she let out a breath she didn’t realize she had been holding. “I’ve finished,” She called softly.

 

There was the whisper soft sound of bare feet on the plank floor, almost inaudible, but the house had gone so still that she was able to detect the soft sound. Then the curtain was being pulled aside, and Bucky stood there half undressed, wearing only his trousers, his suspenders hanging down from the waist of his pants, his chest bare.

 

Eevie’s mouth suddenly felt as if it were filled with sawdust. Boys and girls had been segregated for the most part back at the orphanage, and undress of any sort was strictly frowned upon, so she had never seen a man without his shirt on. She couldn’t help but stare at the hard planes of muscle that flexed and shifted beneath his smooth skin as he moved. He saw her staring, and she tried to look away, aware that her cheeks were flaming crimson now, and there was that flutter in her belly again. But even though she looked away, her gaze was drawn back to him, his lean yet well-muscled body, and the almost feral grin he wore, caused by her obvious reaction to him.

 

He moved towards her on silent feet, a wolf stalking a doe on the prairie. “Take it you like what you see?” He asked, his voice a low purr. Eevie flushed further and her gaze met his as she sputtered out something that was part excuse, part apology, and part affirmation. Bucky reached up with one hand, cupping the side of her head with it, caressing her cheek with his thumb, while he brought his other hand up to lightly press his forefinger and middle finger to her lips, softly shushing her.

                                                                                                                                                  

“Ain’t nothing to be ashamed of, Eevie.” He murmured. “We’re married. I’m yours and you’re mine, and Steve is both of ours, and we’re his, and we can all look at each other just as much as we want to.” He moved his fingers away from her lips, slipping the arm around her waist and pulling her closer as he leaned in to whisper in her ear while still caressing her other cheek with his thumb. “And oh, I want to look, Eevie.” His murmur was a purr that caused goosebumps to rise up all over her skin. “We’re going to do a lot of looking at each other before tonight is over.” He assured her, punctuating his words with a nip at her earlobe followed by a kiss on her pale neck, actions that drew a sound she didn’t recognize from deep inside her, something that was similar to a whimper but also a plea. Then he was kissing her again, and her thoughts scattered to the wind.

 

She was dimly aware that she had let her clothes fall to the floor, that her arms were twined around him as he cupped the back of her head tenderly with one hand, his other hand cradling her hip with his arm wrapped around her waist, pulling her snug against him. The kiss was deep and heated and when he drew away, it was only to drag his lips down, along her jaw and then down her neck, causing her to take in a shuddery breath.

 

“Oh darlin’, you’re going to be the death of me.” He finally said, forcing himself to release her, take a step back. He bent over and scooped up her clothes, stuffing them into her arms as she stood still, rather dazed. Then he was kissing her again, a lighter kiss this time, a mere brush of their lips. “Go on and sit with Steve, finish combing out your hair. I’ll be in shortly.” He promised her, his gaze promising her that he was not done with her, not by a long shot.

 

She found that she didn’t want him to be.

 

Eevie managed a nod, before stepping past him and hurrying into the bedroom where she could discard her clothing in the corner, stomach clenching and heart pounding. Missus Callum had told her that things could be pleasant between a woman and her husband once they got to know each other, but she hadn’t elaborated too greatly. She had said nothing at all about the heat that would rush through Eevie’s veins whenever her husbands kissed her, or of any of the other sensations their touch sparked within her.

 

Missus Callum and Missus Murphy could at least have given her more warning, Eevie thought a little crossly as she gave a shy smile to Steve and then sat on the edge of the bed and rubbed vigorously at her hair with the towel. She could hear Bucky as he carried the tub outside to empty it so that he could take his own bath, and she felt a rush of nervous anticipation, glancing over at Steve to see that he was in the process of removing his shirt.

 

 _Oh Lord have mercy on a poor sinner,_ she couldn’t help but think as she stared at Steve, who was just as impressive as Bucky, but a bit bulkier. She felt her heart do a funny little _ker-thud_ in her chest, and she looked away swiftly when Steve glanced her way and caught her staring.

 

She tried to calm herself, taking the towel and hanging it on a peg that hung near the mirror and washbasin, picking up her comb from where she had left. Steve’s hand on hers stopped her made her pause, and she looked up at him, still flushed with embarrassment at being caught looking. He was smiling down at her, a kind smile that was worlds away from Bucky’s almost-leer.

 

“I can help with that.” He said. “If you’d like.”

 

Eevie bit her lips together a moment, indecisive, before she nodded, offering him the comb.

 

“Sit on the edge of the bed.” He instructed, and she did as he said. He sat down beside her, and angled himself so that he faced her, guiding her to sit so her back was to him, giving him better access to her hair.

 

“Seems a silly thing for a man to enjoy doing, brushing out a woman’s hair.” Steve said in the silence that fell as he carefully worked his comb through the tangles at the ends of her long hair, “When I was little I watched my Pa brush Ma’s hair out every night, and I swore to myself if I ever had a wife, I’d do the same.”

 

“You’re doing a good job of it.” She ventured.

 

“Thank you.” He continued to work out the tangles in her hair, silent for a few minutes, “For a while there, I thought I never would have a wife. I had Bucky, and he was all I needed at the time, or so I thought, but there was always a feeling that I was missing something. We were missing something.”

 

“Is that what made you decide to bring a woman into the mix?”

 

“Yes. When Bucky told me that there was a bride coming out for him, you could have knocked me over with a feather, but then I thought on it a bit, and… I figured that, if you agreed to my hare-brained idea, it would be a chance for us to get what we always wanted.” He explained, finishing with the comb, but then running his fingers through her hair. “You’re giving us the chance to have something I thought I’d given up years ago, when I realized that I loved Bucky more than anyone should love their best friend.”

 

“I’ve heard it said that husbands and wives should be the best of friends.” She murmured, closing her eyes in pleasure as he continued to run his fingers through her hair, “They should be, as they have to lean on each other in all things, so… I guess it isn’t that much of a stretch to love your best friend like that.”

 

“Not too much of a stretch at all.” Steve agreed softly, running his fingers lightly down her spine. “I’m glad it was you who answered Becca’s ad. Not many people would be so understanding about this or be so open to trying to make a marriage like this work.” He had set her comb aside, then placed a hand on her shoulder, guiding her to turn and face him. She looked up at him, and he gave her a different smile, still kind, but there was an intensity in his gaze, a hunger. He reached out and slid her closer to him on the bed, making her gasp out, surprised that he would manhandle her, but finding she did not dislike it. He lowered his head, lips barely brushing against hers before he paused, as if waiting for permission.

 

Feeling greatly daring, and also terribly nervous, Eevie closed the scant distance between them and pressed her lips to his. The instant she did that, Steve took control of the kiss. The hand that had been gently tracing down her spine was now gripping her waist, holding her in place pressed against him, his other hand rubbing up and down her upper arm slowly, reassuring her with his touch for a time, until he moved to caress her breast through the worn fabric of her nightgown. She inhaled sharply at that, at the sensation of sheer pleasure that such a simple touch caused. Steve ran his thumb over her pebbled nipple, pressing against it as he rubbed, an action that caused her to gasp into his mouth as a shock of pleasure blazed through her, made her skin prickle and break out in goosebumps. Steve moved his lips from hers then, dragging them down her neck. Eevie tilted her head to the side without thinking, allowing him better access to the pale flesh. He worshiped her with lips and tongue, going to far to lightly scrape his teeth over her pulse, pulling a cry from her lips.

 

“Looks like you two are getting started without me.” Came the amused voice from the doorway. Eevie’s eyes snapped open, and she looked to Bucky, feeling a flush of guilt brought on by his words. He was standing just inside the room, his smile broad, approving, despite his words. His hair was more wet than damp, and he was wearing only a single towel that he had wrapped around his waist. Eevie could feel the heat rising in her cheeks once more, not from guilt, but simply from looking at the glory of his nearly nude form. She looked away quickly as Steve released her, turning to give Bucky a smile of his own.

 

“We haven’t started anything yet. You know I’d wait for you.” He said as he looked over Bucky appreciatively, never tired of looking at the work of art that was his love’s body. “I’ll admit to getting carried away; I started with trying to soothe her nerves and get her to loosen a little.”

 

“Guess I’ll take over while you take your turn to wash up.” Bucky said, moving towards them. Eevie kept her gaze averted, but she heard the whisper of fabric as the towel hit the floor. Steve reached out, running a hand down Bucky’s arm, then taking his hand and placing a kiss against it.

 

“I’ll be quick.” He promised as he rose. He strode from the room with an urgency in his stride.

 

“You’re not wearing a nightshirt?” Eevie managed to squeak out, her eyes on the window. It wasn’t even twilight yet; it couldn’t be past seven thirty, and she sunlight was still slanting into the room. It was too early to go to bed. She wanted to protest, to ask him to wait, ask Steve to wait, even though a part of her most certainly did _not_ want to wait to indulge in more kissing and caressing.

 

“Not tonight.” She heard the straw tick rustle as Bucky sat down beside her in the spot Steve had vacated, felt the heat radiating off his body. She felt a hand running down lightly down her back and flinched slightly, not expecting the touch, her heart pounding so hard that it was roaring in her ears. “I’m not going to hurt you, Eevie.” Bucky said in a soft voice that warmed and comforted her as he stroked up her spine, then back down. “Didn’t they tell you what to expect tonight before you left the orphanage?”

 

“They told me. Some of it, at least.” She managed to whisper out, “But knowing and experiencing are two very different things. Knowing is doing nothing for my nerves, and…” She trailed off, biting her lips.

 

“And?” Bucky asked, continuing to caress her back in long strokes that helped settle her nerves some. “Is it because there are two of us?”

 

“Well, there is that.” She sighed, “But they also never said anything about feeling the way the kisses I’ve shared with you and Steve make me feel.” She finally sighed out, causing Bucky to laugh.

 

“That’s a good thing, though. Feeling that way when we kiss.” He pointed out. “Better than feeling revulsion, or nothing at all. As for there being two of us and one of you, it is going to make things harder, making sure none of us feel left out. Just means we have to work a bit, make sure we’re all happy with everything between us.”

 

She felt an almost hysterical laugh bubble up inside her, but she tried to hold it back, managing to let only a giggle escape. “Well, I was told that marriage was work, but I don’t think they meant anything like this.”

 

Bucky chuckled. “No, I don’t think they did.” His hand came to rest on the back of her neck, “Tonight it’s going to be the three of us. Most times it will be, but there will be times where it’s me and Steve, or just him and you, or me and you. We just have to work at not getting jealous of each other, because it’s just like we said earlier; this marriage is a partnership, and we’re all equal in it. Steve and me, sure we’ve known each other longer than we’ve known you or you’ve known us, but that doesn’t make what’s between me and him any more important than what you’ve got with the two of us.”

 

“I’ll try to keep that in mind.” She said softly.

 

“All right. Now come on. Take off your nightgown and lie down with me while we wait for Steve.”

 

“Take off my-?” She started to turn, a little horrified, freezing when she saw and remembered he didn’t have a stitch on him and then quickly looking away again at that realization.

 

“You’re not going to need it tonight,” He pointed out, “And we’re going to want to see you.” He removed his hand from her back, “There’s no reason to be embarrassed or ashamed. We’re husbands and wife. What’s happening between us, what will happen, is perfectly fine and natural.” When she still hesitated, he reached to rest his hand on the small of her back once more. “Or do you want to wait for Steve?”

 

“You didn’t seem too pleased that he was kissing me while you weren’t here.” She ventured, “I don’t… I don’t want…”

 

Bucky understood what she was struggling to say, and he laughed softly. “That was me teasing Steve. He knew I wasn’t unhappy with him. But if that’s what’s worrying you…” Bucky looked to the door, raising his voice and calling out, “Hey, Stevie!”

 

Steve called back after a moment, “What is it, Buck?”

 

“You mind if I get her out of her nightgown and start getting situated?” Bucky asked, causing Eevie’s cheeks to burn.

 

“Don’t mind. I’ll be in in about five, ten minutes.” He called back.

 

Bucky turned to look at Eevie with a smug grin as she looked up at him in surprise, making no move to remove her nightgown. Bucky reached a hand up, fingertips brushing against her throat, then down a little further, to the buttons at the neck of her nightgown. “May I?” He asked. Eevie bit her lips together nervously, before giving a single nod of assent.

 

His nimble fingers made quick work of the small buttons that held the neck of her nightgown closed, and he got the nightgown open to just between her breasts. He moved and placed a kiss on the hollow of her throat, then moved to trace her collarbones with the tip of his tongue, drawing a shaky gasp from Eevie, who arched towards him. He guided her to stand and she stumbled a moment, before he was pulling her nightgown up and over her head, carelessly tossing it aside. She absently noted that his blue eyes were darker than she had remembered them being as he drank in the sight of her bare form, even as she finally allowed herself to take in the sight of him. He was all lean muscle, everything about him sleek and powerful, save for the half hard part between his legs. _That_ was not sleek; it was thick and heavy, and rather intimidating. Bucky reached out for her, but she hesitated in going to him, and he grinned when he saw where her gaze had landed. Instead of saying anything he stood and gently pulled her to him, so that she was drawn flush against his body and he could easily nuzzle her neck a moment before capturing her lips in a heated kiss.

 

The kiss made Eevie feel as if she was going to combust; heat rose in her like the tide coming in, pooled in all of her limbs and made her skin prickle with desire. She moaned into his mouth as he deepened the kiss, unable to hold back the sound. Then one of his hands was running up her side, cupping one of her breasts, making her draw back slightly so she could try and snatch in a gasp of breath. “Bucky, you shouldn’t-” Then he was kissing her again, swallowing her words as he moved to palm her breast, then cup it firmly.

 

“I’m not going to hurt you. Neither is Steve.” He promised as he drew back, “I only want to make you feel good. Make all three of us feel good.” He moved so that he was murmuring the words into her ear, and then he lightly bit on her earlobe, tugging at it, the scrape of his teeth sending a jolt through her that made her whimper. “Trust me, Eevie. I know it’s a lot to ask when we only just met today, but try. Please.” It wasn’t really a request, but it wasn’t a command either.

 

Eevie swallowed hard and managed a single nod, “I’ll try.” She whispered. “What if it does hurt?”

 

“Then you say something to us.”

 

“Last time I tried to say something, you stopped me.” She pointed out, finding it difficult to get the words out with his hand on her breast, gently palming and cupping. Then he pinched her nipple and she gasped again, arching into his touch, shocked that such a little thing could send such a blaze of pleasure through her.

 

“I’ll let you finish next time.” He chuckled, moving to suck on her neck lightly, just below her ear. Then his lips were following the curve of her jaw and down her neck. “Come and lay down with me, darlin’.”

 

“All right.” She whispered. There had been a hunger in his tone that worried her yet thrilled her at the same time. She was making him feel similar to how he made her feel, she could hear it in that tone, and that helped to ease her more than his gentle touches and words did. Slowly she turned away from him and got onto the bed, heart pounding in her chest.

 

“Scoot on in to the middle of the bed.” Bucky said, watching as she did so, and then moving to lay down beside her, stretching out beside her, facing her. He feathered kisses over her collar bones, moved lower, placing a kiss just over one breast before placing a kiss between her breasts, and then shifting so that he could wrap his lips around one of her dusky nipples, his hand going to her other breast to resume his fondling of it. At the alien yet welcome sensation of his lips on her Eevie couldn’t help but let out a little cry, arching upwards as her eyes fluttered shut. Bucky chuckled against her skin but continued his ministrations. Eevie’s hand went to the back of his head, fingers twining with his wet hair, part of her wanting to pull him away, another part wanting to pull him closer. Torn between the two she did neither.

 

Then the straw in the bed on her other side rustled and crackled. Eevie forced her eyes open and turned her head to see Steve joining them, stretching out beside her, leaving her lying between the two men. There was a hunger in his gaze that matched the one that had been in Bucky’s tone, and it made Eevie feel oddly pleased to know she had such power over the two men to make them feel that way.

 

Steve watched for a brief time, before moving so he was an active participant. He kissed Eevie with a passion that made her toes curl, and she reached for him with her other hand so that it rested on the back of his neck, holding him as they kissed until she was absolutely dizzy from it. Steve placed his hand just above her belly, before he stroked down her lower torso in soothing, lazy circles, slowly moving his hand further down her body until he reached her hip, which he rubbed comfortingly, as if he was reassuring her. She understood why a moment later, when he moved his hand between her legs and brushed his fingers against her slit. Eevie moaned into his mouth and then let out a whimper, the touch awakening something inside her, the ache that did not hurt but demanded soothing of some sort.

 

Steve continued to stroke her and did not force entry, but teased and petted patiently until her body began to open for him as a flower opens for the sun. Only then did he slide his fingers through her sweet slick, making her moan out his name, a plea for more falling from her lips. Bucky chuckled at that, but Steve was all too happy to oblige his wife’s request. He slowly worked a finger into her, drawing a sharp gasp from her as her body tensed at the intrusion. Bucky was the one who raised his head and murmured the soft reassurances as Steve slowly worked his finger in and out of her.

 

As Eevie’s body slowly relaxed and the two men visited pleasure upon it, she began to try to explore more of the two of them with her touch; only what they were doing was so distracting she would start to caress and then find her movements come to a gentle halt as she lost her focus. Bucky had moved lower down so that he could lavish kisses over her body, going so far as to lave his tongue over the undersides of her breasts, which pulled a choking gasp from deep within her.

 

Bucky settled himself between her legs as Steve pressed a second finger into her, eliciting a pleading whine from her.

 

“Soon.” Steve murmured.

 

“We’ll get you there, Eevie. I promise.” Bucky agreed.

 

 _Get me where?_ She couldn’t help but wonder, thoughts a bit disjointed and hazy from pleasure. As Steve worked his fingers slowly in and out of her, the ache was eased and something inside her was starting to grow, until it felt as if she was going to burst out of her skin.

 

The Bucky lowered his head and pressed his tongue against a particular spot, licking it firmly, and Eevie cried out, loud and impassioned, her hips bucking up towards him. Bucky continued to tease that little bud of flesh as Steve moved his fingers in her, crooking them suddenly inside her, finding another spot that made her cry out. Between the actions of the two of them, she saw stars explode behind closed eyelids, made her feel as if she was bursting free of her skin and that an inferno raged inside her as her body clenched down around Steve’s fingers, fluttering and throbbing as she came.

 

Steve kissed her again, and while his kiss was demanding, he murmured soft reassurances every time they moved to snatch a breath of air, slowly withdrawing his fingers from her most secret place, though as Bucky moved up her body once again Steve was the one to stroke at her clit, gentle strokes, bringing her down slowly and stringing out her pleasure, but careful not to bring her to the peak once more.

 

She opened her eyes, watched as Steve and Bucky shared a kiss that was long and deep, Steve finally removing his hand completely. Eevie let out a little mewl of protest that cause both men to chuckle. Bucky kissed her then, while Steve nuzzled at her neck.

 

“Are you ready for the rest of it, darlin’?” Bucky asked, and Eevie nodded slowly. They had given her pleasure, and now it was time for them to take their own, she realized, but the thought no longer worried her or played at her nerves. Instead of apprehension, she only felt sweet anticipation.

 

The two men shared another kiss, and Steve murmured something to Bucky that Eevie didn’t quite catch—Eevie thought that she heard him telling Bucky to go on ahead.

 

“Well, if you’re certain.” Bucky murmured laughingly.

 

“Certain enough.” Steve assured, and Bucky nodded before shifting between Eevie’s legs. Eevie felt the brush of something hot and heavy against her well slicked folds and tensed slightly. Steve noticed and moved to kiss her again, before turning his attention to her breasts. Bucky reached between the himself and Eevie and took himself in hand, moaning softly as he teased them both by rubbing the head of his cock, slick with precum, against her slit. Then he was pushing into her, moving slowly and with care. Eevie’s breath hitched and for a moment she thought that he wouldn’t fit, but her body yielded to his, began to adjust to the welcome intrusion just as it had for Steve’s fingers. Bucky paused partway into her, before moving to kiss her hard and bucking his hips forward, sinking into her fully as she yelped into his mouth. There had been a pinch, the initial pain brief, but soon there was only a dull ache as he remained seated inside her, unmoving as his lips worked over hers.

 

“I’m sorry.” He breathed out finally, and Eevie moved to kiss him again, to try and show that there was nothing to apologize for. She had been told it would hurt, had expected far worse. He drew back slightly, rubbed his nose against hers, the touch of their lips to one another a feather light whisper that was barely there. “You feel amazing.” He murmured finally, before turning his head to look at Steve, “Feels as good as you do.”

 

“Good.” Steve murmured, watching them with a heated gaze, reaching up and running his thumb over Eevie’s bottom lip. “What are you feeling, sweetheart?” He demanded, tone enticing instead of commanding, but it demanded an answer all the same.

 

“I never thought anything could feel like this.” She managed to breathe out, not realizing that a piece of her had been missing until she felt the fullness of Bucky inside her. She knew it would feel the same when Steve joined with her, that he would help to complete her, and having had the both of them she would be whole.

 

At her words, Bucky let out a pleased growl, before he began to draw back. She whimpered, worried it was over, and wanting the feeling of penetration to last. In answer to her unspoken plea he pushed back into her and she moaned, feeling no pain this time, only pleasure. Then he started a slow, steady rhythm, working in and out of her, rolling his hips up against hers in a way that was positively sinful. Eevie reveled in every second of it, arching her hips up to meet his, Steve murmuring in her ear and guiding her to roll her hips in a similar fashion to Bucky’s, an action that, when she managed it, made her and Bucky both moan before Bucky panted out a curse.

 

“Suck.” Steve ordered Eevie as he slipped his thumb past her lips and into her mouth. Eevie, eyes closed so she could try and focus solely on what they were making her feel, obeyed without question, wrapping her lips around Steve’s thumb and sucking on it, earning a pleased rumble from the larger man.

 

Bucky moved one hand beneath Eevie, so that he could grip her shoulder from behind, hold her steady as he increased the force of his thrusts, which had become hard as his pace quickened. As she wrapped her arms around him, clinging to him, he ordered Steve to reach between them, commanded him to stroke her sweet spot. Steve drew his hand away from her mouth and did as Bucky demanded, making Eevie cry out the instant Steve’s fingers found that bundle of nerves. Bucky murmured further instruction, that Steve was to keep rubbing and not stop even as Bucky slipped his other arm behind her, gripping her other shoulder from behind.

 

Bucky’s thrusts were becoming desperate, and he was moaning for Eevie to come around his cock, ordering her to let go and fly for him once more as every movement fanned the flames inside of her until she was completely caught up in the blaze. After what felt like an eternity of bliss she was crying out again, feeling as if she were falling as she was completely engulfed, her body seizing around Bucky’s as she submitted to his will and came around his cock as he commanded.

 

Bucky snarled out a curse as she came and managed only two more thrusts before he buried himself inside her as deeply as he could manage, reaching his own pinnacle and consumed by a similar blaze as he filled her with his milky seed.

 

They remained locked in that position for several minutes, sides heaving as they both struggled to learn to breathe again, Steve’s lips wandering over their heated flesh. Bucky was the first one to break the silence.

 

“God damn.” He managed, tone almost one of reverence. Eevie couldn’t help but giggle at his swearing, even as he reluctantly withdrew from her body and moved to lie beside her on the bed, stealing a kiss from Steve as he did.

 

“That good?” Steve asked, sounding amused.

 

“That good.” Bucky agreed, giving him a lazy, sated grin. “I think we picked ourselves the perfect little wifey, Steve.”

 

“Really?” Steve sounded amused as he ran a hand down Eevie’s side. “Have to wonder how you came to that decision, Buck.”

 

“The same way I expect you’ll come to it, ass.” Bucky snorted, amused, leaning over Eevie and kissing Steve once more, slow and languid, while Eevie watched, the sight of them enjoying one another like that causing a now familiar flutter in her belly.

 

“Guess I’ll have to make up my own mind about it.” Steve murmured finally as he and Bucky drew away from one another. He flashed a predatory grin down at Eevie, “Don’t think either of you will mind too terribly much, especially you.” He wrapped an arm around Eevie, pulling her close, earning a giggle from her.

 

“Only one way to find out.” She blushed as she said the words, feeling both greatly daring and highly embarrassed.

 

“That’s our girl.” Bucky said approvingly as Steve guided her to lie on her side, her back to him. She started to turn, a frown appearing on her face as she went to ask him what he was doing, but he simply moved to bite lightly at her neck.

 

“Trust me.” He instructed, voice firm. He gentled his tone, “Can you do that for me, Eevie?”

 

Eevie nodded almost immediately. After everything that had happened between the three of them since she had stepped off the stagecoach, she trusted him. Trusted them both.

 

“Good. That’s good.” Steve murmured, reaching down, hooking an arm under her leg and raising it up, so that her knee fell over his elbow, parting her legs wide to allow him better access to her body. He shifted his hips, so that the length that had been pressed against the cleft of her bottom was between her legs. He rubbed against her for a time, simply enjoying the friction and anticipation of what was to come, causing Eevie to whimper, still so sensitive to the touch of either man. Then Steve angled his hips just right, and was able to slip into her heat, moaning as he did so. Eevie’s breath caught in her throat and her head lolled back, feeling as if all her bones had turned to jelly.

 

Bucky moved closer to the two of them, so that Eevie was pressed between the two men. Bucky moved to kiss Steve as the blond began to roll his hips, moving in Eevie slowly but with force while he kissed Bucky, long and deep. Eevie bowed her head so that she could press kisses against Bucky’s collar bones, causing him to moan into Steve’s mouth. Bucky grabbed at Eevie’s hand, catching her by the wrist instead, before bringing it up and placing kisses on her palm. Then he took her pointer and index fingers into his mouth, sucking on the and teasing them with his tongue. Eevie raised her head to look at him, startled, but when their gazes met and she saw the heat in his eyes once more she couldn’t help but flush. Bucky drew her hand away from his mouth and kissed her then, long and deep, just as he and Steve had kissed, while he guided her hand to the juncture between her legs, then firmly guided her fingers to the place that felt oh so good when it was stroked.

 

“You rub that.” Bucky ordered against her lips, voice husky. “While you do, I’ll give Stevie a hand.”

 

Steve let out a choked sound that almost sounded like a protest, but Eevie obeyed Bucky, her head lolling back again, legs trembling from the force of the sensations building inside of her. It was almost too much, and she wanted to protest, to ask them to stop, to give her a minute to gather her scattered wits, but all that came out of her was a strained, keening cry as the flames inside her were stoked once again.

 

Steve felt the tremble in her legs and shifted, raising his arm a bit so that her leg was lifted higher, spreading her wide so that she could take him in deeper, and they both cried out. The Bucky gave Steve a hand as he had told Eevie he would; he moved a hand between the legs of his two partners so that he could grip Steve’s balls and fondle them firmly. Steve snarled out a curse, his hips snapping up into Eevie so fiercely that he shifted her so that the crown of her head connected with his chin in a hard slam, making the both of them see stars from the impact. Bucky snorted out a laugh, angling on the bed so that he could wrap his free arm around Eevie’s shoulders, push her back down onto Steve’s cock.

 

“Looks like I need to give both of you a hand.” Bucky smirked, but Eevie was too far gone to notice. She was still stroking her clit firmly as Bucky had guided her to, but that was almost all the movement she could manage. The knock to the head wasn’t the only thing that was making her see stars; as passion coiled and raced through her and made her skin prickle and feel too tight once again it also dimmed her vision, making it go black and fuzzy around the edges. Spots of white were exploding in her vision and her eyelids slid closed, causing the spots to brighten.

 

Then Steve was snarling out another curse, this time followed by Bucky’s name, and Eevie could feel him grow slightly inside of her, could feel the pulsing heat and it set her off once more, her entire body shuddering from the force of it this time. Bucky removed his hand from Steve’s balls and caught her by her wrist once again, bringing her hand up and sandwiching it between them, for she had still been following his command and had not stopped, while Steve slowly eased her leg down, but not completely; he positioned her so that her leg was hooked over Bucky’s thighs.

 

What followed was a long series of murmured endearments and caresses from the two men; directed at her and one another as they allowed her to slowly come down from the pleasure, which still sent occasional lighting flashes through her and made her twitch.

 

Then they were all still, Steve withdrawn from her but still pressed snugly against her back, holding onto her, Bucky moving closer so that Eevie’s head was tucked under his chin. She breathed in his sweaty musk and felt oddly comforted by it, her eyes remaining closed. She wasn’t certain she had the strength to open them. She felt so wrung out that she wasn’t even sure how it was that she could keep on breathing.

 

“Did we hurt you?” Steve asked softly, ghosting his lips over her ear.

 

“Only for a moment.” She murmured, “And that was worth a little pain.”

 

“It won’t hurt next time.” Bucky promised, running a hand up and down her side slowly while Steve did the same to him. “I think the three of us are going to be very good together.”

 

Steve chuckled. “I have to agree.”

 

Eevie’s lips curled into a slight smile. “Me too.” She murmured, feeling as if she were floating now.

 

“Get some sleep, darlin’.” Bucky murmured, “I’d say you’ve more than earned a rest.”

 

She let out a little hum of agreement, even as she drifted off into slumber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm pretty sure this is the longest chapter I have written for anything.
> 
> This was so fun to write, but so very difficult. Ugh, smut, why are you so hard to write???


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The morning after the wedding.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning, contains m/f smut. Also voyeurism.

Steve woke easily the next morning, lying angled on his side and stomach, practically on top of Eevie, who was sleeping on her stomach. Bucky was lying in a similar position to his, and both men had an arm tossed over Eevie, while the legs of all three were tangled together. It was a very pleasant way to wake up, Steve reflected, running a hand down Eevie’s back. Eevie barely stirred, unlike how she had responded when Bucky had woken them both up in the middle of the night with kisses and caresses. Then she had stretched out and let out a pleased murmur, turning her head towards Bucky and responding quickly to the kisses he had instigated.

 

A part of Steve was a bit put out that she had awoken for Bucky the night before but not for him this morning, but he chased those thoughts away quickly. It wasn’t because it was Bucky, or because she liked Bucky more than she liked him, he reminded himself. The poor woman had just had a long and tiring journey from Vermont, and the two men had done their best to wear all three of them out the night before in the two times they had come together, the once before sleep had claimed them, and then the once in the middle of the night. Steve moved off of Eevie but remained pressed against her side, then placed a kiss on her bare shoulder, earning a sleepy murmur before she buried her face between the two pillows on the bed, his and Bucky’s, her breathing remaining deep and even, showing she hadn’t woken in the slightest. Steve chuckled softly, unable to keep from smiling. It was Sunday and they weren’t going anywhere, so they could let her sleep a while longer.

 

He was tempted to let Bucky sleep as well, but he knew his love would grumble and growl if Steve let him sleep and went off to do all the morning chores by himself. So, Steve reached over and ran a hand down Bucky’s side. The brunet let out a low, pleased rumble, before cracking his eyes open slowly, smiling at Steve when he saw him looking at him over Eevie’s head. Bucky looked down to Eevie and ran a hand down her back as Steve had, but just as she had then, she didn’t stir. Steve brought a finger to his lips, indicating Bucky should be silent, before jerking his head slightly in Eevie’s direction. Bucky got the hint and nodded. The two slowly disentangled themselves from the puppy pile and left the bed, dressing as quietly as they could, taking their socks and boots out to the main room to put them on.

 

Not a word was spoken between the two as they went to do the morning chores of dumping the remains of the previous night’s bath water, picking up the detritus left from bathing, and seeing to the stock, which were still kept in separate barns until they could build something bigger. Steve and Bucky even gathered the eggs from both coops, though that had always been Becca’s task before, and they had talked to Eevie about her managing it the previous night. When Steve entered the house with the eggs he saw that Bucky was already straining the milk, another task that had been Becca’s for the most part, and one they would have to teach Eevie to do, but could wait until the evening milking.

 

They worked in silence, until Bucky came up behind Steve, who was wiping the eggs clean with a damp cloth and setting the cleaned eggs into a basket. Steve just smiled as Bucky wrapped an arm around his waist and rested his chin on Steve’s shoulder.

 

“Mornin’.” He finally said, breaking the silence that had hung over them since waking.

 

“Morning.” Steve replied, turning his head so he could kiss Bucky, who met his lips with his own quite eagerly.

 

“I was starting to think you were upset with me.” Bucky said when the kiss finally ended.

 

“No. Not that.” Steve assured him, “I just needed some time with my thoughts.”

 

“I can understand that.” Bucky murmured, releasing Steve finally. “Yesterday was pretty eventful.”

 

Steve snorted in amusement. “That’s putting it mildly.” Both men were keeping their voices low, aware of the woman asleep in the next room, wanting her to get some much-needed rest. “But it was a good sort of eventful.”

 

“That it was.” Bucky smiled at the reminder, “I thought you were crazy at first, suggesting we get a wife. Now… I’m pretty certain we did the right thing.”

 

“So am I.” Steve finished with the eggs, “I wasn’t certain at first, not even when I proposed the idea, but… I think this is the right direction for us to head in. That Eevie is the right person for us to do this with.”

 

“I’m still having trouble believing she agreed to all this.” Bucky looked back towards the curtain that served as a door to their bedroom, “She’s something special.”

 

“Just like you.” Steve smiled at the man who had held his heart for so long that he couldn’t remember a time when he hadn’t. Bucky returned the smile, and the two closed the scant distance between them and shared another kiss.

 

“Think we should wake her up for breakfast?” Bucky finally asked.

 

“No.” Steve spoke with certainty, “Judging by the circles under her eyes yesterday, she’ll probably sleep straight through until dinnertime.”

 

“Maybe we should join her.” Bucky suggested, looking to the bedroom rather longingly. The corners of Steve’s lips quirked up in a grin at that.

 

“If we go back in there, we both know that it won’t be for sleep.” He pointed out. “Let her rest, Buck. You can ravage her later.”

 

“Like you ain’t thinking the same thing.” Bucky looked back to Steve, gaze rather pointed.

 

“I won’t bother trying to deny it, because you’re right, I am. But right now, I think her catching up on her rest is more important than either of us waking her up to satisfy our urges.”

 

“We can go in and satisfy each other.”

 

“Do you honestly think she’d be able to sleep through that?”

 

“Probably not,” Bucky grinned at Steve shamelessly, “But if she wakes up, then she could join in.”

 

Steve had to stifle a laugh. “You’re incorrigible.” He accused as he shook his head and went to the chip pile to get fuel for the stove.

 

“I have very good reason to be.” Bucky countered with a grin. “Want any help?”

 

“No, I can manage.” Steve assured him.

 

Soon the house was filled with the smell of coffee and fried pork as Steve cooked. Bucky had settled into his chair and was thumbing through the farmer’s almanack when he heard the crunch and rustle of someone moving around on the straw tick in the bedroom. Minutes later, Eevie pulled aside the curtain and stood framed in the doorway, looking rather uncertain. Her brunette hair was a wild mess and she wore only her nightgown.

 

To Bucky, she looked breathtaking.

 

“Mornin’, darling.” Bucky said as he set his book aside and stood, stepping towards her.

 

Eevie gave him a sleepy yet brilliant smile. “Morning.” She replied. “You two should have woken me-” Bucky reached her by then, and he silenced her with a kiss that was deep and held a promise in it.

 

“We thought you needed the sleep. Well, Steve thought you needed the sleep. _I_ was all for climbing back in bed with you and waking you up, but he vetoed that idea. But since you’re awake in time for breakfast, I have every intention of getting the two of you back in that bed once we’ve finished eating and the dishes are done.”

 

“Bucky.” Steve said, exasperated, from where he stood by the stove.

 

“What? It’s a good idea!” Bucky protested with a grin.

 

“You’re insatiable.” Eevie grinned up at Bucky, not looking like she minded in the least.

 

“That’s what I said.” Steve called. “Morning, Eevie.”

 

“Morning, Steve.” Eevie smiled over at him.

 

“You said I was incorrigible.” Bucky pointed out to Steve.

 

“Same thing in this matter.” Steve grumbled. “Buck, could you set the table?”

 

“I’ll do that.” Eevie protested, “And then I’ll go change.”

 

“No need to change since we’re going back to bed after breakfast.” Bucky said cheerfully, not waiting for Eevie as he went to get plates and cutlery off the shelf to set the table.

 

“Insatiable.” Steve said, shaking his head as he flipped the salt pork in the skillet.

 

“I didn’t know what we were missing until last night. Now I have to get my fill, before it becomes part of the every day humdrum life.” Bucky teased them both.

 

“… If _that_ ever becomes humdrum, I think we’re doing it wrong.” Eevie countered cheekily, though she couldn’t help but blush as she did it. Both men laughed.

 

“I hope it never becomes humdrum.” Steve said finally. “Now come over here so I can kiss you good morning properly.” Eevie obediently went to Steve’s side, and he turned to give her what was meant to be a quick kiss, but when she smiled up at him he couldn’t help but give in to his baser urges and deepen the kiss. She was the one to draw away, looking sheepish.

 

“You shouldn’t. Not while we’re in front of a hot stove.” She said by way of explanation.

 

“I’ll focus on breakfast.” He agreed.

 

“I could take over.” She ventured. “I’m supposed to be doing the cooking.”

 

“It won’t kill any one of us if Bucky or I cook a meal once in a while.” Steve said simply. “Go and wash up. Breakfast is almost ready.”

 

She nodded, and Steve watched as she moved away from him and towards the table. He couldn’t help but appreciate her slim form in her thin nightgown, skimpily cut so that it hung to her knees, showing off her shapely legs. The sight was enough to stir the banked embers of desire once more and he almost swore as he felt his cock start to take interest. He hadn’t been this randy since he was seventeen and learned just how good relations between two people could be.

 

He pushed that thought out of his mind firmly. Eevie was right; in front of a hot stove was no place to be having thoughts like that. He used a fork to transfer the salt pork from the skillet to a plate, and then cracked eggs into the pan, frying them in the fat from the salt pork. While the eggs cooked he toasted several slices of bread, spooking up and spreading some of the hot fat on the slices as soon as he judged them to be browned enough. Those went on a plate as well, and soon those plates of toast and salt pork joined the skillet of eggs on the table, the skillet placed on top of an iron trivet to keep from damaging the table or cloth.

 

Breakfast was a pleasant affair, Eevie asking questions about the farm, about what they wanted her to do as part of her duties, aside from caring for the house and doing the cooking. She asked if they could show her around the farm later in the day, and they were all too happy to oblige. It was her home now, she should see it, know all about it, and if they were being perfectly honest, they wanted to show it off to her a bit. Their two spreads combined into one wasn’t as impressive as some farms might be, but they were still proud of it.

 

Bucky helped to clear the dishes after breakfast, and when Eevie went to pour some of the steaming water into the wash basin, he came up behind her and brushed her wild hair aside so he could place a kiss on her neck. Eevie smiled rather giddily and tilted her head slightly to the side to allow him better access to her neck before she pulled away from him so that she could set the pot of water back on the stove.

 

“I have to do the dishes.” She protested when he simply waited for her to return to the washbasin before kissing her shoulder through the thin fabric of her nightgown. From where he still sat at the table, Steve chuckled.

 

“I don’t think that’s going to stop him.” He remarked.

 

“Dishes can wait.” Bucky agreed.

 

“They’ll take longer if I do them later. If I do the washing up now we can spend longer in bed together.” Eevie tried to reason with him as she picked up the crochet dishcloth.

 

“See, I was thinking about that.” Bucky murmured against her skin, hands running up and down her sides. “Who says we have to go back to bed to have our fun?”

 

“What do you mean?” Her tone was one of mild bewilderment.

 

“I mean, that I think I’d rather lift up your nightgown and bend you over the worktable, here and now.”

 

Eevie gaped, her eyes going wide and cheeks flaming crimson. “You can’t do that!” She protested.

 

“Bucky.” Steve said, only mildly reproachful.

 

“Now Steve, it’ll be fine.” Bucky protested, wrapping his arms around Eevie again. “And who says we can’t, darlin’?” Bucky demanded of Eevie, his tone light and teasing.

 

“We are right in front of a window!”

 

“A window that faces the back of the property. And it isn’t like we’re in town and someone could walk by and see us. Neighbors might pass by on their way to church, but that won’t be for a little while yet.” Bucky said as he slowly gathered the fabric of her nightgown up, pulling the hem up to her waist. “You going to join us, Steve?”

 

“I think I’ll just watch, if neither of you mind. I can wait until we get to bed, unlike some people.” Steve drawled. Bucky chuckled, then nipped at Eevie’s neck. “I don’t mind. Do you mind, darlin’?”

 

“Well, no, but… Bucky!” Eevie hissed urgently in protest, her cheeks still flaming red.

 

“It’ll be all right.” He assured her softly, pausing in his motions. “Can we try just this once, and if you don’t like it, we never do this again? All right?”

 

Eevie bit her bottom lip, before nodding. “All right.” She finally agreed, a little worried that she _would_ like it. She liked everything the two had introduced her to so far.

 

“That’s our girl.” Bucky murmured rather proudly, his voice husky with desire as he moved one hand from her hip to rub her smooth rear end, gripping and kneading softly before he slid his hand up and guided her to lean over the worktable a bit. Eevie bit her lips and braced herself with her hands on the worktable, on either side of the washbasin of dirty dishes. Her heart was racing, pulse roaring in her ears as Bucky got his trousers unfastened with one hand and slid the other between her legs to stroke at her slit. He choked out a moan when he felt the slick heat swallow his fingers greedily, and he thrust two fingers fully into her, stroking up the fires of desire inside her once more.

 

Eevie breathed out his name, followed by a moan of protest when he removed his fingers from her.

 

“Don’t worry, darlin’.” Bucky murmured with a chuckle. “I’m not even close to done with you yet.”

 

“Sounds… Almost like a threat.” Eevie managed to breathe out as Bucky took himself in hand and guided the head of his cock, already hard and aching for her, to her entrance. He teased them both a moment, rubbing up and down her slit.

 

“It is a threat.” He managed. “And a promise.” With that, he bucked his hips forward and sank into her inviting warmth, moaning out his pleasure as he did. Bucky decided, not for the first time since the night before, that there were few things better than being buried balls deep in his wife. Being buried balls deep in his husband or having his husband balls deep in him tied with it. It was impossible to pick one over the others.

 

Bucky could feel the pleasure curling up and down his spine as he started to move in her, just as intense and sweet as it had been the night before when they had come together for the first time. He reached up and gripped Eevie’s shoulder, pushing her down so that she no longer had just her hands on the worktable, but was resting on her forearms. He used his grip to pull her back into his thrusts as he started a hard, fast rhythm that made the worktable shake and the dishes rattle in the washbasin. With his other hand he reached around them so that he could rub at her clit, causing Eevie to cry out sharply. Bucky tried to slow down, tried to finesse the movement of his hips, needing her to feel just as good as he did, needing her to find her pleasure before he found his.

 

Eevie was still sensitive from their lovemaking the previous night; he could tell by the impassioned cries she let out, the way her body would occasionally tighten around his cock. He could hear it in her voice, the breathy sound that each thrust wrung from her. He could feel the pressure building inside him, tried to stave it off, tried to last until he had gotten her where she needed to go.

 

Then she let out a loud cry, almost startled, her cunt clenching around his cock almost painfully before beginning to milk him for all he could give her. Bucky stopped holding back, practically snarling as he came, thrusting into her to the hilt as his balls tensed and spasmed, filling her with his own heat.

 

“… I think,” Eevie finally managed to pant out, her legs trembling, “That you are trying to kill me.”

 

Bucky choked out a laugh, slowly releasing her shoulder and wincing when he saw the red imprints his fingers had left in her pale flesh. “I think I might have been trying to kill the both of us. But what a way to go.” He moaned softly as he pulled out of her, as did she, and he then reached up to smooth her nightgown back down over her hips. He leaned to kiss her shoulder where he had accidentally marked her, then moved away and tucked himself back into his pants and buttoning them back up as she slowly straightened. He turned to give Steve a grin and a once over, Eevie turning to look at Steve, suddenly shy again, a flush high on her cheeks, one that darkened when she saw how Steve was watching the both of them appreciatively, and rather proudly.

 

Eevie quickly looked away. “My legs feel wobbly.” She ventured, feeling the need to say something as she looked to the cooling water in the washbasin and tried to turn her attention back to the dishes.

 

“After you’re done there, you should go rest a while.” Bucky suggested.

 

“I don’t want to be a lie about.”

 

“We won’t think any less of you. Sundays are good for a bit of snoozin’.” Bucky leaned to mock-whisper in her ear so that Steve could hear easily, “But I’m going to tell Steve to join you, not that he’s going to need much telling,” He turned to look at Steve, “Are you?”

 

“Won’t need any telling at all. I’m a willing volunteer.” Steve grinned over at Bucky.

 

“See? And I’m pretty sure that once Stevie goes with you, snoozin’ is going to be the last thing the two of you wind up doing.”

 

Eevie flushed and ducked her head, making Bucky laugh and Steve’s grin widen. “Come on and hurry up, darlin’, so he can make you even more weak-kneed. I’ll take this out and dump out the water for you.”

 

“Thank you.” She murmured, finishing with the dishes quickly, drying them and putting them away while Bucky carried the wash water out. Then Steve was standing beside her and pulling her into his arms, simply holding her for a moment. She wrapped her arms around his waist and closed her eyes as she rested her head against his chest, feeling completely safe in his arms, as if the outside world could never touch her so long as he held her. Not even Bucky, who smiled when he came in and saw the two holding one another. He set the washbasin down and went to his chair without a word to either Steve or Eevie, knowing that the two of them needed time to build a bond between them, just as he had a bond with Steve, and hoped to build on the tenuous bond he and Eevie were developing.

 

After a few minutes of silence and simply holding one another, Steve lowered his head and pressed his lips against the top of her head, then to her temple, and when she looked up at him he placed a kiss on the tip of her nose, smiling at the grin and giggle that pulled from her. He was still smiling as he kissed her properly, the kiss he had wanted to give her that morning in front of the stove but had been unable to.

 

When he straightened, the grin and giggle was gone, replaced by a slightly stunned expression and dark eyes, swollen lips. “Come on, sweetheart.” He murmured huskily. “Let’s get you to bed.”

 

“All right.” She agreed, her voice soft in the quiet room as she slowly withdrew her arms from around him. Steve released her but caught up one of her hands, holding it tightly in his as he led her to the bedroom, not that she needed to be led. Once they were in the bedroom and the curtain had fallen closed behind them, Steve turned to her and released her hand. He stood and looked at her, and Eevie flushed under his scrutiny, feeling shy and awkward again.

 

“What’s wrong?” Steve asked her softly, reaching up to cup her face with one hand.

 

“I…” She tried to start, not looking at him, unsure how to say the words, how to put her feelings in some sort of order that would make sense to him. How to tell him that she had enjoyed what they had done the night before, what she had done with Bucky, but was ashamed of it at the same time. That she felt awful for leaving Steve out of their lovemaking, awful and guilty, and that her shame came from being watched by someone doing something so intimate.

 

Steve let her fall into silence and waited patiently, before guiding her to look at him.

 

“It’s about what you did with Bucky,” He guessed, and she gave a minute nod. “You feel bad because it was just the two of you.” She gave another tiny nod, wondering how he could see her thoughts so clearly. “And you also feel bad about my watching.”

 

“It’s not something for people to watch.” Eevie whispered, trying to look away again, but he cupped her face in both hands, guiding her to look at him once again.

 

“For other people, no. But we’re in this together, the three of us. You, me, and Bucky. Sometimes we’re going to pair off, like you did with Bucky, like we’re doing now, and sometimes it will be all three of us. Sometimes we’ll want to just watch one another, sometimes we’ll want to join in. It’s going to be hard for all of us to get used to, you most of all, but there are no hard and fast rules for relationships, particularly one like our marriage.” His lips quirked in a smile, “Well, there are some hard and fast rules. That we talk to one another, and keep talking, so we don’t have any misunderstandings. That there is no shame in what we do with one another. That we are all equal in this, and we shouldn’t be getting jealous of one another. I think we can manage with those to start with. What do you think?”

 

She gave him a slight smile, relief in her gaze as she looked at him, so glad he understood what was in her without her having to try and explain it. He seemed to understand better than she did. “It’s a good start.” She agreed quietly.

 

“Although,” Steve lowered his voice, bowing his head and moving his hands from his face to her shoulders, “I will confess to being a bit jealous when I watched the two of you this morning… But I wasn’t certain which one of you I was more jealous of. Him for being with you, or you for being with him.”

 

Eevie couldn’t help but laugh, “I don’t think I mind that sort of jealousy.”

 

“I didn’t think you would.” Steve smiled, before he drew her closer and kissed her lips, feather light and sweet as sugar. Then he was releasing her and drawing back slightly. “Come on and help me out of my clothes.”

 

“You might want to take your boots off first.” She ventured, and Steve chuckled, going to the boot jack near the wall and getting his boots off with practiced ease. Then he turned and smiled, holding his hands out slightly in a gesture that translated to “What next?”

 

Eevie bit her lips together a moment, before stepping towards him, realizing that he was letting her take charge, at least for the time being. She reached up and pushed the suspenders down his shoulders, before working at the four buttons at the placket of his shirt, getting them undone easily before moving to his cuffs. Once all the fastenings were undone she cautiously pulled the hem of the shirt free of his trousers and then pulled it off of him, Steve raising his arms obediently and helping her to remove the garment, leaving him in just his trousers and socks. They let the shirt fall to the floor, and she bit her lower lip again, staring at the fastenings holding Steve’s trousers shut, able to see that he was already hard and straining at the fabric. He reached out and guided her to look up at him once more, giving her his warm and reassuring smile.

 

“Nothing to be nervous about.” He told her gently but firmly, “You saw it all last night, remember?”

 

“I didn’t do much looking last night.” She confessed. Not with him, at least. She had gotten a good eyeful of Bucky, but Steve had come in after she was lying down, and she hadn’t had a chance to look at him in the same way.

 

He grinned, remembering. “I guess you didn’t. We overwhelmed you a bit, didn’t we?”

 

“A bit. But it wasn’t a bad sort of overwhelming.” She assured him, tentatively reaching out and working at the fastenings of his trousers, finally getting them open. His cock practically sprang free of the confines of the fabric, and she tentatively reached to wrap her hand around it, explore him the way she hadn’t the night before. Steve closed his eyes and moaned softly at her touch, pushing down his trousers and stepping out of them impatiently.

 

“Grip it a bit harder.” He instructed her, reaching down and showing her how he preferred to be touched. He guided her to stroke him slowly, which she did several times, before he caught her by her wrist and pulled her hand away, bowing his head to give her a heated kiss. Eevie kissed him back eagerly, stumbling slightly as Steve began to walk her backwards towards the bed. When her legs hit the side of the bed, she fell back onto it, landing on her bottom, unable to suppressed a giggle at the ridiculous of her stumble. Steve smiled down at her, caressing her cheek, then frowning slightly, his thumb rubbing just beneath her eyes.

 

“I don’t like the look of those dark circles.” He murmured. “You need to rest more today.”

 

“I can rest in a bit.” She smiled up at him. She was still tired, could feel an ache in her bones from her lack of good rest, but she knew that there would be time to sleep later. She needed to spend some time with Steve.

 

“You certain?” He asked, clearly at war with himself over whether he should put her to bed or if he should take her to bed.

 

“As sure as the sunrise.” She assured him. He gave her a rather boyish grin at that, before joining her on the bed as she unbuttoned the yoke of her nightgown and pulled it off, less embarrassed now than she had been earlier. After all, he had watched her coming together with Bucky, and had seen all of her the night before. _Nothing to be ashamed of between the three of us,_ she reminded herself. Then she and Steve were stretched out beside one another on the bed, and he was kissing her, so slow and tender she thought she might melt from it.

 

His hands wandered over her body and hers wandered over his, trying to familiarize herself with the hard planes and muscles of him as he strove to learn the soft curves and silken skin of her form. They lay beside each other kissing and touching for what felt like an eternity to Eevie, who gasped when Steve rolled over onto his back, taking her with him so that she was atop him. He grinned up at her as she shifted so they were both more comfortable, which left her straddling his hips, gasping when she felt his heat against her slit. Steve’s hands went to her hips and he pulled her down onto him as he ground up against her, his cock cradled in her slit in a way that made them both moan from the sensations, though they were not as good was what both Steve and Eevie knew what was to come.

 

“Sit up.” He instructed quietly. Eevie looked down at him in confusion, before struggling to do as he instructed. He helped her up, until she rose above him like a wild-haired angel. “Going to let you set the pace.” Steve murmured as he looked up at her appreciatively in the soft early morning light that filtered through the windows. Her pale skin was almost haloed in the light, reinforcing the thought that he was with a divine being.

 

“Me?” She asked, looking down at him with wide eyes.

 

“You.” He agreed, bucking up against her, causing her to gasp. “Rise up on your knees a bit, then reach between us and guide me home, sweetheart.” He kept his hands on her hips, but his grip on her was loose, gentler than he had been when he had pulled her down onto him.

 

Eevie bit her lower lip before nodding and doing as he instructed, reaching down between them and gripping his length firmly, just as he had shown her, giving him a slow stroke that made him groan in pleasure and anticipation before she positioned him just so, while he guided her hips to show her the proper angle, though she needed little guidance for that. Then she was sinking slowly down onto his length, letting out a gasping moan as she did, until she had taken all of him in. She simply sat a moment, savoring the feel of him inside her. He said nothing, needing the pause almost as much as she did. He lay beneath her, watching her face and how the pleasure she felt was so clearly written on her features.

 

Then she started to move; at first only a tentative rock of her hips, that small motion enough to send thrills of pleasure chasing up both their spines. Despite the pleasing sensations she hesitated, and Steve’s touch on her hips turned to rubbing small circles into her hip bones with his thumbs, a comforting touch. “You’re doing fine, sweetheart.” He managed, strain in his voice from holding himself back. He wanted to buck up into her, or roll the both of them over and press her into the mattress as he fucked her, but he held back. She needed to know that she had just as much control as he and Bucky did, that she could reach out and seek her own pleasure just as they sought theirs.

 

She moved again, this time a slow motion, trying to roll her hips in the way he had guided her the night before and she gasped again, thighs clenching around his hips. Steve manage to murmur praise and endearments as she kept moving above him, her rhythm steady and languid, enough to drive a man insane, he couldn’t help but think.

 

For her part, Eevie wondered if this was what drowning was like. She was engulfed in sensation, sensitive to every drag, pull, and twitch. All that was left in the world was her and Steve, and the quiet guidance he gave her. At his prompting she reached up to cup her breasts, the sight of her fondling them dragging a hoarse moan from Steve, who finally moved to prop himself up on an elbow so that he could capture one of her nipples between his lips, stimulating and teasing first one breast, then the other. He took one of her hands and guided it to her mouth. From the night before, Eevie knew what to do without his saying; she sucked on her fingers and laved them with her tongue until he pulled her hand away and guided it to her core, silently instructing her to touch herself as they moved together.

 

Eevie could feel pleasure blooming inside of her, firecrackers that were going off without warning inside her very soul. She could feel the pleasure mounting once again and she began to move faster, chasing the sensations coursing through her, desperate to find the explosion of bliss she knew was coming. His name fell from her lips, along with nonsensical pleas that only made sense in that time and place. Steve panted out encouragement and endearments, feeling himself on the knifelike verge of his own orgasm.

 

Then she was crying out, body seized by a deep, rhythmic shuddering as she found what she sought and the bliss flooded her, her hips stuttering to a halt as she came. Steve snarled out her name, bucking up into her fiercely, until he found his own pleasure. The feeling of him pulsing inside her as he came was enough to set her off again, until she finally collapsed against him, utterly spent.

 

Steve wrapped his arms around her, pressing his lips to the top of her head, her temples, uttering soft praises as their breathing slowed and they came down from the heights of Heaven itself. He continued to stroke and soothe her as her body relaxed further and her breathing evened out, unable to keep from smiling when he realized that he had worn her out completely.

 

“Get some rest, sweetheart.” He murmured, nuzzling just behind her ear. “You’ve earned it. Deserve it.”

 

She didn’t even hum in agreement, already more than half asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bucky is such a friggin' horn dog, I swear. He's ready to pounce either one of his spouses at a moment's notice. Steve isn't much better, but he has better self-control. And Eevie is a shiny new thing for them to play with, so of course they're going to want more with her. Don't worry, they will have time together as well.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Eevie learns that roosters are not chickens, but demonic forces in disguise.

Eevie slept until three in the afternoon, not waking for dinner, both men deciding that she needed the rest more than she needed to eat. When she finally emerged, hair combed and tamed into a simple bun and wearing a dress the color of cinnamon and rust, Steve and Bucky both looked up from their reading to smile at her. She smiled in return, still feeling a bit tired, but also feeling renewed.

 

It was a strange dichotomy.

 

There were a few quiet words spoken, until Eevie mentioned that she needed to write several letters, that she had promised she would do so upon her arrival and send them back to Vermont as soon as possible. Bucky indicated the writing desk, and Steve showed her where the stationary and pencils were kept. Eevie thanked each husband with a kiss, before settling down to write her missives before she had to prepare supper.

 

The letters to Missus Murphy and Missus Callum were short, telling simply of her arrival and describing her journey a bit; that there had been a mix up of sorts and Bucky had not been the one to send for her, but he had chosen to honor the agreement and marry her anyway. She was careful to keep mention of Steve as her second husband from the pages, only referring to him as Bucky’s childhood friend and close companion.

 

She figured that in this case, a lie of omission would be best.

 

It was in her letter to Lydia that she explained everything.

 

_Dearest Lydia,_

_I have found myself in quite the situation, one that I blame entirely on your and your intuition, but… Also one that I find I do not mind in the slightest, which is perhaps the most concerning of all. I suppose it will be best if I start at the beginning._

_My journey to Nebraska was uneventful, for which I am very glad. Had it been an eventful journey I don’t know that I would have been able to accept what was waiting for me with any grace at all. When I boarded the train I was able to secure a seat next to a window, so I could more easily see the scenery as it went past. Oh, Lydia, I always knew that we lived in a beautiful country, but seeing just how beautiful it truly is day after day from the window of the train was breathtaking. As tiresome as travel by train is, the speed of travel and the scenery one sees is well worth the endless jostling and rattling._

_I disembarked at Cobb City, which is a fair-sized place, and very busy. I was lucky to be able to find the station for the stagecoach in all the bustle. I was able to board, but had to share the journey with five men, all travelling further than Babel. It was a very crowded and uncomfortable journey. I was relieved when the stage stopped in Babel and I was able to disembark, at least, I was relieved until I realized that no-one was there to greet me. I waited over half an hour before two men and a woman arrived, one man and the woman in a wagon, the other man on horseback._

_The men were the ones to approach me, and Lydia, they are the two most handsome men I have ever seen. One introduced himself as Bucky, the other being his closest friend, Steve. Only the problem is, they are a bit more than mere friends. It turned out that Bucky never sent for me at all, it was all his sister Rebecca’s doing, while Bucky was content to spend his life with Steve._

_I don’t know how I managed to keep from crying when they told me that. You know how excited I was, how glad I was that someone finally wanted me. When I found out that it was all a lie… Well, it hurt. Badly. But then they had an outlandish suggestion, and I was too stunned to argue. Well, argue much. I think I did a little arguing, but most of yesterday is a bit of a haze from the shock of it all and the exhaustion, as I was not able to sleep well on the train. I know you are curious, and you know that I will tell you everything because you are my best friend, but you must swear to not tell anyone else about this, especially Missus Murphy or Reverend and Missus Callum. I shudder to think what they would say. Reverend Callum might come to Nebraska himself to fetch me back to Morgan’s Mill himself to get me away from this den of sin and wickedness. Not that it is a den of sin and wickedness, but they would certainly think it is! I love them all dearly, but I truly doubt that they have it in them to understand a situation such as the one I found myself in, let alone the decision I made to remain here._

_You see, Bucky and Steve wanted to marry one another, but they also both wanted to marry me. They want children eventually, and men need women just as much as women need men when it comes to the making of children. They also needed someone to tend to the house and do other small chores that would usually be a woman’s responsibility. It all boiled down to them needing a wife, and, well… I was stranded in the middle of nowhere with no where to go, and not a single friend near enough to be of any help. So, I told them that I would agree to their scheme, but only if their Reverend agreed to bless the union. Unions. Bucky and Steve were both so confident that he would, and I was so certain that no man of God would ever agree, that I could have been knocked over with a feather when the Reverend did!_

_So, now I am a bigamist. And a polygamist. But a very happy one, strangely enough. Despite the situation we are in, both Bucky and Steve seem to be good men. They have been nothing but kind to me, and very courteous. Time will tell how all this will go, if the kindness and courtesy lasts, but I think it will. I hope it will._

_I look forward to hearing your opinion on all this. Don’t try to tell me you don’t have one, because I know you do._

_Please write to me soon._

_Much love,_

_Eevie Barnes-Rogers_

 

Eevie re-read the letter after she finished, and decided that she couldn’t add more, even though she had so much more to say about Bucky and Steve and how they made her feel, and what the three of them had shared so far, but the thought of putting it all down on paper seemed wrong somehow.

 

She turned to look at Steve and Bucky as they stood, then looked at the clock and quickly stood herself. It was after five and she should have already started on supper.

 

“We’re going to do the evening milking and care for the stock.” Steve said, unnecessarily.

 

“When we come back, I’ll show you how to strain the milk. You’ll need to do it every time we do the milking.” Bucky told Eevie, who gave a quick, single nod. She knew she was going to have to learn a lot about what would be expected of her, what she would need to do to keep house and keep her family fed and cared for.

 

“I’ll get to work on supper. I’m sorry I’m starting so late-”

 

“It’s all right.” Steve smiled at her, “We still need to find a schedule that works for the three of us, and our chores.”

 

She smiled, glad that he understood.

 

~*~

 

Steve and Bucky convinced Eevie to make an early night of it that night, not that she needed much convincing, only laughing and calling them insatiable. Bucky countered that she was just as insatiable as they were, or else she’d be putting up more of an argument. Eevie conceded the point, and happily joined her husbands in bed.

 

When it finally came time to sleep, she felt a bit of anxiety about the coming day, and how well she would manage things with it being her first day of real work as a farmer’s wife, when she had no solid idea as to what she was doing. The anxiety eventually faded as sleep claimed her.

 

Nowhere in any of her musings or ponderings did Eevie think that she would be woken up by Bucky between her legs, lavishing her breasts with attention until she stirred and then kissing her more fully awake, or that Steve would join in on the sloppy early morning kisses before moving over Bucky, awake enough to be careful not to put too much weight on Bucky for fear of hurting her.

 

She was smiling that morning as she took up the egg basket as Steve directed, already planning on making the same simple breakfast that Steve had prepared the day before. She just needed to get the eggs first. She had never gathered eggs before, but she reasoned with herself it couldn’t be too difficult. Steve told her that all she had to do was reach beneath the sleeping hens, and if she was quick about it, the hens wouldn’t have time to wake and peck at her before she had the eggs in the basket. And if she wasn’t quick, well, she would learn. All things came with practice.

 

As Eevie opened the door to the coop and stepped inside the narrow confines, she wrinkled her nose at the smell. _I have to get used to it,_ she told herself firmly, before moving to the first hen and carefully trying to slide her hand beneath the sleeping bird. Of course, as she was not practiced at this, the hen startled awake and let out and outraged series hisses followed by what sounded very much like a growl, pecking at Eevie’s hand.

 

“Ow!” Eevie hissed, drawing back her hand, before scowling and trying again. Unfortunately, the noise was waking all the chickens, and there was a stirring further in the coop. She wondered if she could just let the birds out early, even though she was told they weren’t usually let out until after breakfast.

 

Eevie managed to get an egg from beneath the first hen before moving to the second, which also hissed and growled and pecked. For her troubles, Eevie found that that particular roosting box was empty of any eggs. She grit her teeth, and moved to the next.

 

From further in the coop, there was an insistent, repetitive cackle of _kuh-kuh-kuh-kuh-KACK!_ Eevie, never having been around chickens, didn’t realize that it was a warning sound, or who was giving the warning. In her mind, chickens were timid creatures, or else cowards wouldn’t be called chickens as an insult.

 

Eevie didn’t know a damn thing about roosters, or she would have gotten out of that coop immediately.

 

There was a warning crow, which caused her to startle and turn towards the noise, only to be hit at chest height by what felt like a cannonball wrapped in barbed wire. She cried out and stumbled away, dropping the egg basket as the rooster attacked the unfamiliar intruder to his domain with his spurs. Eevie shrieked at one vicious slash, stumbling out of the coop, falling on her rear end, which only put her at a better height for the rooster to assault her, slapping her with his wings angrily and continuing to lash out with his spurs.

 

In the sod barns, doors open to the cool morning air as the men sat down to do the milking, Steve and Bucky heard the crows and the panicked shrieks. Bucky looked towards the doorway, bemused, until he realized that it was the rooster crowing, not hens simply giving their warning cries.

 

Steve put two and two together much more quickly and bolted out of the barn, running to the chicken coop. He could see Eevie on the ground, arms covering her face as she tried to turn away from the flurry of feathers, spurs, and rage. Steve grabbed her by her upper arm and hauled her away on the ground, the rooster giving chase until Bucky sprinted up and got the rooster to back off, shoving it away with his boot and shooing it off (it wasn’t quite kicking, but close) his legs getting pecked for his efforts, but as he was a familiar entity the rooster chose to be magnanimous and not go at him with his spurs. Instead, it stood in the door of the chicken coop, feathers puffed out to look more intimidating, letting out low warning growls.

 

“How is she?” Bucky asked Steve, the absolute absurdity of the situation already sinking in, a grin on his face. He knew that a solid stab by a rooster’s spurs hurt like hell, and would need to be cleaned immediately and watched closely for infection, but the absurdity of the damn rooster attacking Eevie and her panicking could not be denied.

 

“I can’t tell.” Steve’s heart was pounding, spike of adrenaline beginning to fade but unable to keep from grinning about his wife getting attacked by the ornery old bird and scaring them with her screams, but the smile faded rapidly as Eevie continued to sob once the rooster was gone. He wondered if it was just how she was handling the after effects of the fear, if the sobs were going to turn to laughter when she realized she had been chased out by a bird. “Sweetheart, are you all right? I need you to talk to us.”

 

“It attacked me!” She sobbed out, “I was just gathering eggs and it flew at me!” She lowered a hand to the right side of her chest, just below her collar bone, bringing Steve’s attention to the area. Steve saw that the area of her dress was dark, but he was unable to see properly in the pre-dawn gloom. He knew what that darkness meant, and his heart dropped to his stomach.

 

“Shit.”

 

“Shit?” Bucky frowned as he looked to Eevie. He couldn’t see much better than Steve could, but there were dark patches on her forearms as well. “Shit.”

 

“Help me get her inside. I’ll clean the wounds.” Steve said, helping Eevie up. He hoped the wounds were just superficial, but he had seen what a determined rooster could do to other barnyard fowl and also a particularly bold cat, so he was not banking on it.

 

Eevie managed to sob out a protest, trying to say something about the eggs as Steve and Bucky helped her to her feet.

 

“I’ll get the eggs after the milking.” Bucky assured her. “You go on with Steve now, darlin’, and he’ll get you fixed up.” Then Eevie tried to apologize through her tears, tried to say she was sorry.

 

Bucky wasn’t having any of that.

 

“Hey hey hey, no.” He moved to her, placing a hand on the back of her neck, “You don’t have a thing to be sorry for, darlin’. We should have warned you about that damned rooster.” He placed a kiss to her temple, brushing aside a lock of hair that had fallen free from her bun in her struggle with the cockerel. “Go on with Steve, now, darlin’. Let him patch you up. It’ll be all right. And we’ll see about putting that rooster in his place.”

 

She managed a nod, and Steve wrapped on arm around her waist, gently guiding her back to the house, where he sat her in his chair and lit the lantern beside it. “It’ll be all right, sweetheart.” He promised as he unbuttoned the front of her dress. She tried to protest, but he shushed her gently. “I need to take a look, and clean your wounds.” He explained.

 

As soon as he got the front of the dress open, he knew it was bad. Her chemise was stained with blood and there was a tear in it, through which he could see an angry red slash. A deep slash. Steve bit back a curse. This was beyond his skill, or Bucky’s, and he knew it. Eevie was looking down at the wound in horror, and the sight brought on a fresh round of sobs as she reached up to cover the wound, try and staunch the bleeding. Steve got to his feet and went to grab one of the clean kitchen towels, folding it so that it made a pad, and then rushed back to Eevie’s side, gently pulling her hand away and placing the pad over the wound.

 

“I need you to hold this in place while I take a look at your other wounds, all right, Eevie?”

 

“There’s so much blood.” She choked out.

 

“I know. It’s a lot of blood but you’re doing good, Eevie. Just keep that towel pressed against that wound, alright?”

 

She managed to nod, holding the pad over the wound while Steve looked over her arms, looking at the wounds as he did, horrified but unable to look away. No wonder she hurt so badly. “I didn’t know chickens were like that.” Came the pained whisper, tears still running down her cheeks as she tried to suppress her sobs.

 

“Roosters.” Steve sighed as he checked her arms, finding mostly punctures, but a few smaller gashes. “Roosters can be like that. Chickens will run from a fight, or call on the flock’s rooster to defend them. I never thought he would attack you, or I would have gotten the eggs myself. I’m sorry, Eevie. I wasn’t thinking.”

 

“It isn’t your fault he attacked me. We don’t know what animals are going to do.”

 

“I should have known, with that one.” He grumbled, getting up so he could get what was needed to clean her wounds. “I’m going to clean these and see if we have anything to bind them with, but then I’m taking you to town to see the doc. That one on your chest is going to need stitches, and so will at least one more on your arm.”

 

“I’m sure it will be fine, Steve, we don’t need to see the doctor.” Eevie sounded anxious as she said the words, and Steve returned to her side, kneeling before her and catching her free hand in his, his blue gaze intense.

 

“Sweetheart, we need to get you to a doctor.” He said seriously, “I’m not lying when I say that wound needs stitches. Bucky and I can stitch up a hole in a sock halfway decently, but neither one of us has ever stitched up a person, and I don’t want to go practicing on you. Alright?”

 

She bit her lower lip a moment, “Do we really have to?”

 

Steve sat back on his heels, brows rising in surprise. “I thought I just explained…” He trailed off. “Are you afraid of being seen by a doctor?”

 

Eevie’s response was said before he had completely finished asking the question. “No!” Steve fixed her with an even gaze, waiting patiently as she looked away from him, unable to look him in the eyes. “… Maybe a bit.” She amended.

 

“There’s no reason to be afraid, Eevie. He’s going to help you.” He pointed out. “And I’ll be with you the entire time. I swear. Now let me get those cleaned up, and then I’ll talk to Bucky and hitch up the wagon.”

 

“Alright.” She whispered, keeping her gaze averted. Steve sighed, figuring that would be the best he would get from her. As long as she went with him to the doctor and let the man examine her wounds, that would be good enough for him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was without internet for almost a week. So, delay in posting.
> 
> Also, roosters are evil. And so are geese. Feathered assholes, the lot.


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a visit to town, and roostifer gets his comeuppance.

“There we go, now.” Doctor Streiten said as he finished stitching the wound on Eevie’s chest. “You were a model patient, Missus Rogers.”

 

“Barnes-Rogers.” Steve corrected without thinking.

 

“Barnes-Rogers?” The doctor raised an eyebrow.

 

“It’s a bit of a story.” Eevie said softly. There were tears in her eyes again; the stitching had not been pleasant. Doctor Streiten had given her willowbark tea for the pain, and Steve had held her hand through it all, telling to squeeze if the pain hurt too much. She had nearly squeezed the circulation from Steve’s hand, but she had managed not to break down into sobs through the entire ordeal.

 

Immediately after his preliminary examination of the wounds, Doctor Streiten had cleaned each one once again with soap and water, despite Steve’s protests that he had done so already. Doctor Streiten ignored Steve, finishing with the soap and water before pouring a liquid that stung and bubbled into the wounds. Doctor Streiten had called it peroxide, and said it was good for reducing the severity of infection. He had muttered about roosters being absolutely filthy animals when he did a third cleaning with astringent smelling iodine, telling Steve and Eevie that he wanted to take no chances with wounds caused by one of the fowl. Eevie had managed to remain stoic through the first two cleanings, though there had been a few sharp hisses of pain, but it was the third cleaning that had started the tears falling. The fourth was a treatment of carbolic acid—the doctor informing them that it was a new treatment that reduced the chance of gangrenous infection—which was just as painful as the cleaning with iodine had been.

 

“I’d like to hear that story.” Doctor Streiten said blandly as he turned away to wash the blood from his hands in a basin by the wall.

 

“Bucky Barnes and I love one another.” Steve said simply, “Always have. Always will. We were going to set up housekeeping together after his sister married Booth, but Becca had already sent off for a mail order bride for him. When we found out Eevie was coming, we talked it over, and decided to see if she would marry us both. The bible talks about men having more than one wife, and those folks in the Utah territory do the same, so we figured it would be fine for a woman to have more than one husband.”

 

Doctor Streiten turned and gave Steve a dry look, before returning to Eevie’s side with a cloth soaked in more iodine to clean the last of the blood away. “Well, I suppose that is one way of doing things.” He looked to Eevie, “Don’t let those two run roughshod over you. Now, either myself or Missus Wilson will look forward to seeing you in a few months.”

 

“Missus Wilson?” Eevie asked hesitantly.

 

“The town midwife.” Steve explained as he picked up her bloodstained chemise so he could help her back into it. Given the location of the wounds, Doctor Streiten had requested she undress from the waist up, something both Eevie and Steve had balked at in the beginning. Doctor Streiten had rolled his eyes at them and pointed out that Eevie didn’t have anything he had not seen before, and as her physician he needed to see her in order to examine her. Eevie had reluctantly acquiesced, but only if Steve remained at her side the entire time, something the doctor had agreed to readily.

 

Eevie flushed at Steve’s words, and the implication of Doctor Streiten’s. “You won’t be offended if I go to a midwife?” She ventured.

 

“Of course not. A good midwife—and Missus Wilson is a good midwife—knows more about delivering babies than a country doctor.” Doctor Streiten chuckled as Eevie took the chemise from Steve and pulled it on quickly. “Now, keep those wounds clean. I’ll give you a bottle of peroxide and one of carbolic acid, use the peroxide to bathe the wounds after washing them with soap and water twice daily, and if you are able, place rags or bandages soaked in a diluted solution of the carbolic acid on the wounds afterwards. I want to see you back here in two weeks exactly, Missus Barnes-Rogers, so that I can take those stitches out. Some signs of infection in your wounds will be perfectly normal, and as long as the discharge is white in color, everything will be fine. If the discharge is any color other than white, you come and see me immediately.”

 

“Yes sir.” Eevie said quietly as Steve helped her back into her corset, the bandages wrapped on her arms making her feel stiff and uncoordinated. She got the busk hooked together quickly, but when she reached to tighten the laces at her back, Steve was already there, doing them up for her. “Thank you.” She said softly.

 

“I couldn’t let you do it on your own.” Steve reasoned, placing a kiss on the top of her head. He looked to Doctor Streiten as Eevie slipped her arms back into the sleeves of her dress and pulled the bodice up from where it had been bunched around her waist. While she quickly buttoned up the front of her dress, Steve took out his billfold and paid Doctor Streiten for his services. Then, bottles of medicine in hand, Steve and Eevie left the doctor’s house.

 

Steve helped Eevie up into the wagon, before joining her on the wagon seat.

 

“We’re going to make a stop at the mercantile for a few things.” Steve said. Eevie looked at him in shock. She wasn’t feeling her best, and she certainly didn’t look it.

 

“I… Do we have to?” She ventured.

 

“Yes.” He looked over at her and gave her a reassuring smile. “It’s going to be fine.”

 

“My dress is in tatters, Steve! I can’t go into the mercantile like this.”

 

“It’s going to be fine, Eevie.” He assured her as he released the brake and urged the horses to a walk. Eevie frowned, and wrapped her arms around herself. This was not how she wanted to make her first impression to anyone in town; dress torn and bloodstained, hair a mess, and probably looking as if she had just come from a slaughterhouse. She looked down at the hand she was using to hold her upper arm and grimaced. There was dried rust red caught in all the imperfections in her skin, as she had not been as worried about washing her hands as she had been about getting the bleeding to stop. She wanted to protest again; she would cause a scandal walking into a store with how she looked.

 

Steve turned onto the main road and Eevie kept her head bowed until the wagon stopped. She looked up, and saw that he had brought the wagon to a halt beside a store building. She closed her eyes as Steve got off the wagon seat and came around the wagon to help her down.

 

“It’s going to be fine, Eevie.” He repeated, touching her elbow lightly.

 

“I can wait here.”

 

“I need you to come inside. It isn’t busy, this time of day. The only one who will see you is Missus Barton, and she’ll understand.” Steve cajoled.

 

Eevie sighed, her shoulders slumping. She was going to be the town laughingstock; she knew that gossip spread like wildfire, and soon word would spread that she had been attacked by a stupid rooster of all things. She could already hear the laughter, people sniggering at her behind their hands. Resigned, she let Steve help her down from the wagon, and she wrapped her arms around herself again as he guided her into the store.

 

“Steve Rogers, what are you doing in town on a Monday? And who is-? Good gracious!” A woman gasped, hurrying forward. “Oh honey, what happened to you?”

 

“Rooster.” Came Steve’s response, Elle hunching in on herself a little, arms still wrapped around herself, gaze glued to the floor.

 

“I swear, roosters are possessed by all the demons that ever fell from Heaven.” The woman grumbled, “I don’t know what the good Lord was thinking when He made them, but it’s not my place to judge. I’ll never forget the first time I tangled with a rooster; I still have the scars from that stupid old bird, but I had the last laugh. Once my wounds were seen to I snapped his neck and popped him right into the supper pot.” The woman said. During the steady flow of her words, Elle raised her head to look at the woman, starting to smile slightly, knowing she wasn’t alone. “Oh, and here I am forgetting my manners. I’m Laura Barton, my husband Clint and I own this mercantile. Are you kin of Steve’s from back East?”

 

“Not quite.” Steve smiled. “She did come from back East, but she’s not exactly kin. She’s my wife, Evelyn.” He said rather proudly.

 

“Eevie, please. People say Evelyn and I look around to see who they’re talking to.” Eevie ventured.

 

Laura looked at Steve in wide eyed surprise, before looking to Eevie, then back to Steve. “Your wife? Good heavens. I had no idea you were planning on marriage! To tell the truth, I thought it would be Mister Barnes who married first, what with his sister up and marrying Isaac Booth and leaving him in the lurch, not that he didn’t deserve it. High time those two married, if you ask me, which you didn’t, but that’s all right.”

 

“Steve and Bucky married at the same time. On the same day as Becca.” Eevie ventured. Laura gave Eevie a broad smile at those words, looking like a cat who had caught the canary.

 

“They did? Well, they always were close, anyone with eyes to see knew that much. Can you tell me anything about her? Oh, but I should probably wait to meet her come Sunday, shouldn’t I?”

 

“You’ve already met her.” Steve looked like he was biting the inside of his cheek to keep from laughing.

 

“I have? I don’t recall meeting anyone new, aside from Eevie here…” Laura paled, her eyes wide as saucers when she saw Eevie’s sheepish, almost ashamed look, and Steve’s barely suppressed grin. “Steven Rogers, you two didn’t!”

 

“It’s Barnes-Rogers now.” Steve said helpfully.

 

“It’s… Complicated.” Eevie sighed.

 

“Not that complicated.” Steve protested, before looking to Laura, “I’ll explain everything to you later, but for right now, can you help us? I want to get Eevie fabric for a new work dress-”

 

Eevie’s eyes widened, and she looked to Steve in surprise. “I can mend this one easily.” She protested, “I don’t need a new dress.”

 

“That dress is going in the rag bag.” Steve countered.

 

“But-”

 

“Honey, never argue when your husband offers to buy you a new dress.” Laura said, wrapping an arm around Eevie’s shoulders and guiding her towards the counter where the fabrics were displayed. “Did you bring your pattern box with you, or did that stay with your Ma?”

 

“I don’t have any kin.” Eevie said quietly, shy in the face of this woman with her smooth brown hair falling in soft wings over her ears and gathered into an elegant braided bun in back, and her fine day dress of pale green cotton that Eevie couldn’t help but envy a little. “I grew up in an orphanage, so I had to leave the pattern box behind for the others.”

 

“Oh dear.” Laura frowned. “And no doubt Becca took hers with her.”

 

“Can you help us outfit her with everything she needs for now?” Steve asked hopefully, following behind them.

 

“Of course I can. You just leave it to us, Mister Barnes-Rogers.” Laura said cheerfully, “Go talk to Clint for a while. Men don’t need to be involved in the particulars of a lady’s wardrobe.”

 

Steve grinned, taking a step back, holding up his hands in defeat. “All right. I’ll talk to him about getting some supplies, since we’re here.”

 

“You do that!” Laura called to him, before looking to Eevie firmly. “Now. You’re going to need more than just a work dress from the look of it; like some muslin for new underthings.”

 

“Just the fabric and a pattern for a dress.” Eevie said firmly.

 

“He said everything you need for now, so we’re going to get you what you need. How are you set on flannel?” Laura asked. Eevie looked at her blankly, and Laura lowered her voice, moving closer to Eevie so her words did not carry. “For your sanitary belt, honey.”

 

Eevie flushed crimson. “I don’t have a belt, but I have two sanitary towels.”

 

Laura sighed. “Oh, honey, no. All right. We’re going to get you kitted out properly. There are some things that aren’t a luxury, but a necessity, and those items number among necessities. Come along now and let’s pick out a good fabric for your work dress, and then we’ll see to the others.”

 

“Yes ma’am.”

 

“Don’t ma’am me, I’m not that old!” Laura laughed. “Call me Laura, honey, or Missus Barton if you’re feeling formal, but most folks around here don’t bother with that.”

 

“Yes m-um, Laura.” Eevie corrected herself quickly, finding relief in Laura’s good-natured chatter. She understood now why Steve was so insistent about her coming inside, not just for the dress, but for the reassurance Laura gave that Eevie wasn’t the only one to be assaulted by ill-tempered poultry. Eevie found herself in a much better mood as they left town, though she was still arguing with Steve about the contents of the old wooden crate in the back of the wagon.

 

“I’m grateful, please don’t think I’m not, but I really don’t need all of this.” She protested.

 

“Missus Barton says that you do. I trust her judgement.”

 

“Steve, really, I can just mend this dress. It would be no trouble.”

 

“That dress is going into the rag bag.” He repeated. “You’re not an orphan who needs to mend and patch your clothing until you wear them to tatters any longer. Bucky and I can afford to keep all three of us clothed easily as long as we’re not too extravagant. And aside from that, the new dress is a sort of apology for not warning you about the rooster. Neither of us thought much about you not being raised around animals before.”

 

She laughed softly at that. “No apology was necessary, but am I going to have to worry about Old Scratch attacking me every morning?”

 

“Old Scratch?” Steve asked, amused.

 

“What Laura said gave me the idea. It was either Old Scratch or Lucifer, but I felt that Lucifer might be a bit too irreverent.”

 

Steve laughed. “Well, I can understand that. And no, hopefully he won’t. If we could, I would just wring his neck and prepare him for the pot—normally I’d do that to just about any animal who attacked a person--but we can’t do that to Old Scratch until we have another rooster to replace him. We’ll need to set a chicken to some eggs, and hope that at least one cockerel comes from the clutch.”

 

“Why is it that you have only one rooster?”

 

“ _We._ Why _we_ only have one rooster.”

 

Eevie flushed. “Alright, why do _we_ only have one rooster?”

 

“Old Scratch attacked all the other roosters and some of the hens.” Steve sighed, “He even killed a cat that got too close to the flock one day.”

 

Eevie looked at him, wide-eyed and horrified. “He _what?_ ”

 

“He killed one of our mousers.” Steve sighed. “We didn’t worry on it too much at the time, the cat had been bothering the hens and chicks, but thinking back, we really should have put that rooster in the pot a long time ago.”

 

“I have to agree with that.” Eevie murmured, shaking her head ruefully. She had never thought that a farmyard bird could hurt a person so badly, and to know that the same bird had actually killed a cat… She was even more grateful for Steve and Bucky’s intervention.

 

When they reached the farm, Eevie was surprised to see Bucky stepping up out of what she assumed was a root cellar. She hadn’t had a chance yet to explore the farm, so she couldn’t say for certain, but root cellar seemed more likely.

 

Steve drew the wagon to a stop in its usual place by the barn, Bucky rushing over to help Eevie down. “What’s the verdict? Doc say you’re going to live?” Bucky asked, trying to sound light and flippant, but despite the grin on his face, Eevie could see he was worried.

 

“I’ll be fine. I need to go back in two weeks to get the stitches taken out, and I have to wash the wounds often with the things he gave us, and watch the infection, but he says I should be fine.”

 

The relief on Bucky’s features was hard to miss. “Good. And you will be pleased to know that I took care of our problem rooster.”

 

“We needed him until we could hatch a new clutch of chicks.” Steve frowned.

 

“I thought of that! After I took care of him and set the carcass to drain, I rode over to the Parker homestead. I know Missus Parker had set some hens a few months back to sell the chicks, so I went to see if she had any cockerels. And she did.” Bucky grinned at Steve, “So we don’t have to worry about waiting, and that damn bird attacking our Eevie again.”

 

Steve and Eevie were both smiling when Bucky finished so triumphantly. “I almost feel bad for Old Scratch. Almost.”

 

“Old Scratch?”

 

“It’s what she decided to name the rooster that attacked her. Said Lucifer was too irreverent.”

 

“Old Scratch. I like it.” Bucky grinned, “Well, we can call the new Rooster Scratch. So far he seems to be settling in all right.”

 

“Good.” Steve went to the back of the wagon, “Buck, why don’t you show Eevie the farm while I get the supplies inside?”

 

“It would be my pleasure.” Bucky grinned, wrapping an arm around Eevie’s shoulders.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, Doctor Banner will be in the story later.


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Eevie encounters local wildlife, and she is introduced to the congregation.

Eevie considered herself blessed that the rest of the day was easier on her. She got the laundry scrubbed and hung up to dry, though she knew that it would take forever to dry in the humid prairie air. She brushed Steve and Bucky’s Sunday suits, before setting to the task of carefully brushing and sponging her yellow dress clean. As much as she disliked the color, it was a very fine dress, still fashionable and of solid construction despite the delicacy of the beaded trim. She was determined to just grit her teeth and wear it every Sunday until she could justify throwing it into the rag bag.

 

The rest of that week had a few bumps; Eevie was not used to waking quite so early, though she was getting used to being woken by lovemaking in the mornings. It was a far more pleasant way to wake up than being roused from bed by Missus Murphy ringing a loud bell from the hallway. After breakfast either Steve or Bucky helped her to clean her wounds, doing so again after supper. The days themselves were filled with more work than Eevie had thought possible; she hadn’t realized exactly how much work went into maintaining a house and garden or caring for a family. At the orphanage the chores had been divided among all the orphans so that no-one had too heavy a load. Out in the middle of Nebraska, all the household chores were left to her.

 

Then, there was the learning to cook not over coal or wood, but cow dung. Cow chips, Steve had told her. They would buy coal for fuel for the winter months, because they would need more to keep the house warm, but the heat and humidity of summer made that almost entirely unnecessary.

 

And, as if learning how to use dung for fuel was not enough, there were the bugs, rodents, and the snakes.

 

Insects and vermin, she could have lived with. The snakes… The snakes were a problem.

 

Eevie was in the habit of leaving the door open to catch a breeze while she worked, as the house was too stifling otherwise. It didn’t do much, but any help at all was better than none.

 

She was just putting dinner on the table when she turned and saw it on the floor, longer than her arm, mottled brown with dull orange and black patches. She froze, watching it as it moved across the plank floor in a sinuous undulation towards her. She could feel her heart leap into her throat, and without thinking she leapt up onto a chair, a very undignified squeak escaping her.

 

She stood there, watching it as it moved across the floor, as it seemed to inspect its surroundings and the new terrain it felt against its scaled belly.

 

That was how Steve and Bucky found her five minutes later, her skirt hiked up around her knees as she stood on a chair, staring at the snake in horror. She looked over at them, both with baffled looks on their faces as they stared at her, and she pointed down at the serpent.

 

“There is a snake in the house.” She managed to say, voice quavering.

 

To their credit, neither of them laughed, but she could tell it was a near thing.

 

“Aw, he’s not going to harm us none.” Bucky said when he got a closer look at the snake. He grinned up at her, “That’s just a rat snake. Probably came in to see if the cats left him anything to hunt for supper. Rat snakes don’t hurt people, and they aren’t venomous.”

 

“James Barnes-Rogers. There is a _snake._ In my _house._ A _snake_. Snakes do not belong in houses!” Eevie hissed out.

 

“She used your first name.” Steve drawled, sounding impressed. “You know you’re in trouble when your wife calls you by your full first name.”

 

“ _Steven._ ” She hissed, and Steve pressed his lips together, tilting his head slightly as he tried to keep from laughing.

 

“I didn’t even know that she knew my first name.” Bucky said to him conversationally as he reached down and picked up the snake, which thrashed, before trying to coil around his arm. “See, darlin’? He’s harmless. Kinda skinny, though.” He held the snake out to Eevie who recoiled.

 

“James Buchanan Barnes-Rogers, you get that away from me right this second!”

 

Bucky laughed, “I’ll take him out and put him down near the root cellar, how about that? I know we’ve got mice out there.”

 

“I don’t care where you put it, just get it out of my house!” Eevie begged him.

 

“Letting him stay in the root cellar is a good idea.” Steve pointed out, coming over to help Eevie down from the chair she was standing on. “Will you be able to go in there, knowing that he’s there?”

 

“I… Maybe?” She ventured, watching Bucky carry the snake from the house. “If I don’t have to touch it.”

 

“You won’t need to touch it. You should still be careful of snakes, but most of the snakes here are harmless.” Steve assured her. “There are a few that are dangerous, so some caution is warranted, but most are only looking for a mouse or rat for dinner.”

 

“You and Bucky must think I’m a ninny.” She muttered, wrapping her arms around herself. Steve frowned and pulled her into his arms.

 

“Of course we don’t.” He protested. “A little excitable, yes, but not a ninny. This is all new to you, and very different from your life in Vermont.”

 

“Vermont did not have snakes longer than my arm.” She shuddered slightly, and Steve chuckled.

 

“Most likely not.” He agreed, before placing a kiss on her temple. “It’s all right. Neither Bucky or I handled ourselves well the first time we saw a rat snake. And you did better than Becca. She screamed so loud we thought she was dying from out in the fields.”

 

Eevie smiled, feeling a little bit better after hearing that, before placing a kiss on Steve’s cheek and going to get the remainder of dinner to set out on the table.

 

~*~

 

Saturday night was just as pleasant as the one before it had been, though when it came time to bathe, Eevie found that she had two very eager helpers, and she was just as eager to assist them when it was their turn. She still had moments of uncertainty, of extreme shyness, but they were understanding and gentle as they helped her to work through those moments. She had no doubt that there would be many such moments in the future, but knew that they would get through them together.

 

She was having one such moment as they neared the church on Sunday morning. Steve had driven the wagon to the churchyard, and Bucky had ridden horseback, the two having told her that they would switch places for the return trip. Eevie was trying to calm herself as Steve brought the wagon to a halt and she could see everyone gathering in front of the church.

 

“It’s going to be fine.” Steve assured her quietly, as if sensing her mood. He was uncannily good at that, she thought absently.

 

“I’m still not so certain people are going to react well when they find out the three of us are married.” Eevie said quietly. What if they started calling her a Jezebel, or worse, for having relations with two men under the same roof?

 

“Some won’t, but their opinion doesn’t matter. Those whose opinion does matter will be happy for us, and accepting, even if they don’t understand it themselves.” Steve pointed out.

 

“Everyone’s opinion matters.” Eevie countered, before getting down from the wagon and smoothing her skirts.

 

Steve came around the wagon and offered his arm to Eevie. “True, but only some opinions matter to us. To me and Bucky, I mean.” He smiled down at her, “And hopefully to you as well. Reverend Coulson is on our side. He’s the one who married the three of us. Doctor Streiten didn’t seem to mind when we told him, and Missus Barton seemed fine with it. Their opinions matter to us, but only a bit. What matters is how we feel about one another, and how the people close to us feel. The rest of them, their opinions about us don’t matter.”

 

“They could make life hard for us.” She pointed out softly.

 

“Not in any meaningful way.”

 

“You’ve really thought this all out, haven’t you?”

 

“A bit.” He grinned as Bucky approached. The brunet offered Eevie his arm, and she sighed, then smiled, taking his arm, so that as they approached the church she was arm in arm with both her husbands.

 

“Nothing to be nervous about at all.” Bucky told Eevie quietly.

 

“Nervous? Who’s nervous?” Eevie asked in a soft murmur, her lips barely moving. Bucky chuckled.

 

“You are, I can see it plain as day. It’ll be fine. Everyone will love you.”

 

“I wish I could be as certain as the two of you.” She sighed, keeping a smile on her face as they reached the churchyard, feeling the stares of everyone who looked their way. Thank goodness that Steve and Bucky had arranged it so that they arrived only a few minutes before service, just enough time to say a few greetings, but not enough time for any real introduction, though Becca was right at the doorway, surrounded by several other ladies. When she saw the trio, she smiled broadly and hurried toward them.

 

“Eevie, you’re looking well. We have to talk more after the service, I want to introduce you around.” Becca said as she pulled Eevie from Steve and Bucky and embraced her, before moving to embrace Bucky.

 

“It’s only been a week, Becks.” Bucky chuckled as he hugged his sister.

 

“I know, but it’s the first time we’ve been apart for so long!” Becca sighed, “Come and sit by us, you three.” She instructed, linking arms with Eevie and leading her into the church without waiting to see if they would agree to sit with her and Isaac or not.

 

“You’re aware that she’s our wife, right?” Bucky drawled as he and Steve followed, the words causing murmurs of shock to ripple through the group of ladies they had just passed at the entryway.

 

“Yes, but I want to be the one to introduce her around!” Becca grinned over her shoulder at him, “You don’t know all the ladies she should know.”

 

“There is that.” Steve agreed amiably, following them to their pew and getting settled, Eevie managing to free herself from Becca so that she could sit between Bucky and Steve, feeling more at ease with the two of them flanking her. Seated on Bucky’s other side, Becca grinned at Eevie, before linking arms with Isaac, who gave his wife an indulgent smile, before quietly reminding her that they were in a church, for Pete’s sake. Eevie grinned at that, before turning her attention towards the pulpit, and Reverend Coulson, who was mounting it.

 

The reverend spoke at length, his sermon interspersed with hymns, Eevie holding the hymnal for herself, Bucky, and Steve, though she knew most of the songs by rote thanks to how closely the church in Morgan’s Mill had worked with the orphanage there.

 

At the end of the service, as Reverend Coulson was bringing things to a close, he went over a few simple announcements; there had been one death during the week, but the circle was continued as a birth had occurred that week as well.

 

When the announcements had started, Eevie knew what was coming, and her stomach churned with dread from the whispers and stares she knew would follow the reverend’s announcement.

 

“Last week I was called upon to perform a marriage of a more unusual nature.” Reverend Coulson said, giving his congregation a bland smile as he spoke, “I will confess there was a bit of discussion before this marriage, but then I recalled the words written in the bible, Ecclesiastes 4:12, ‘Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.’ I believe I was called upon by our Lord to help weave a cord of three strands when I was asked to perform this union. So I would like to present that union to the congregation; James Barnes and Steve Rogers married Evelyn Carpenter as well as one another, forming that cord of three strands, and are now joined as the Barnes-Rogers family in holy matrimony.”

 

A rush of whispers raced through the church as people moved to look at the three. Eevie managed to keep her head high and paste a small smile onto her face, though she had no idea how she was able to manage it, while Steve and Bucky smiled and inclined their heads to their neighbors. Reverend Coulson then stepped down from the pulpit, ending the service for the day.

 

Eevie was guided from the pew by Bucky, a hand on the small of her back as she followed Steve, who looked back at her and smiled. Then they were outside of the church and Becca was taking Eevie’s arm, pulling her into a gaggle of women. There were several who turned up their noses and swept away, but most looked at Eevie with curious interest, as if she was some new manner of flower that had been discovered. Then there were those who were giving her warm and welcoming smiles, introducing themselves and welcoming her to Babel. The most welcoming was May Parker, who happily informed Eevie that they were her nearest neighbors. A woman with dark skin and with her hair covered in an intricate calico headwrap came up to her, grinning broadly. She introduced herself as Missus Wilson, and told Eevie that she hoped to see her in a few months, which made Eevie and the nearby women laugh.

 

“We laugh, but that’s just a fact of life. Once you’re married, the babies start coming.” Laura told Eevie.

 

“Might come a bit sooner for you, with two husbands.” Missus Lewis said archly, causing Eevie to flush crimson and Missus Wilson to swat at her.

 

“Oh hush, it’ll take her nine months, just like the rest of us. If having more than one husband made the babies come faster, we’d all have half a dozen of ‘em.” Missus Wilson pointed out, which earned another gale of laughter.

 

There was some more talk, accepting Eevie as part of the fabric of the community and including her as everyone caught up with the news as it was before they began to go their separate ways, needing to get dinner on for their families.

 

“You should come and have Sunday supper with us. Isaac and I would love to have you.” Becca said, still arm in arm with Eevie as she walked her to the wagon where Bucky was waiting.

 

“Maybe next week?” Eevie ventured, “I don’t want to come at the last minute, and I need to see if it’s what Bucky and Steve would like to do.”

 

“Oh, just tell them what to do and they’ll come around eventually.” Becca said airily, which made her husband—who had been standing and talking to Bucky—heave a sigh and roll his eyes skyward.

 

“Getting a bit henpecked there, Booth?” Bucky drawled.

 

“Not in the slightest. I knew what she was like and married her anyway, didn’t I?”

 

“Oh hush, the both of you.” Becca playfully swatted at Isaac, as he was the closest to her. “I’ve invited you three for supper next Sunday. Eevie won’t agree until she’s asked you and Steve.”

 

“I’d better enjoy that while it lasts, getting asked instead of being told.” Bucky chuckled, “I know Steve would enjoy supper with you and Booth just as much as me, so I say yes, please expect us for supper next week.”

 

Eevie smiled, “Thank you, Becca. What time would you like us over?”

 

There was more discussion, before Isaac finally led Becca away to their buggy and Bucky helped Eevie up onto the wagon seat.

 

“That wasn’t so bad.” Bucky remarked on the drive home.

 

“It went far better than I expected.” Eevie confessed.

 

“We said there wouldn’t be anything to worry about, didn’t we?” Bucky looked over at her with a grin.

 

“You did.” Eevie grinned back at him, “I should have listened. I’m sorry. I’ll try to be better in the future.”

 

Bucky wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close, his other hand holding the reins; the horses were steady and the road was straight, he didn’t need both hands at the moment. “Eevie.” She looked up at him, and he kissed her warmly, drawing back to grin down at her, “Don’t try and change who you are for us. We don’t mind some worrying. That’s only natural. I’d rather have you the way you are right this second without you always trying to do everything we say. If we wanted obedience like that, we’d have gotten a dog.”

 

Eevie laughed, “But a dog wouldn’t cook your supper.”

 

“True, but he would keep us just as warm at night.” He winked at her, “But we have more fun with you.”

 

She laughed, swatting at him. “That is highly improper, Mister Barnes-Rogers!”

 

“What? The only one around to hear me is you.” He pointed out, still grinning, before drawing her back and kissing her again, this time with more heat. “Don’t force yourself to change, darlin’,” He murmured against her lips, “We like you just the way you are.”

 

As Eevie closed the distance between them to kiss him again, she couldn’t help but feel happiness bubble up inside her. They may not have wanted her originally, but they wanted her now, which was almost as good as having wanted her all along.

 

All in all, as she snuggled against Bucky’s side, she felt like she had finally come home.


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are mood swings.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: this chapter contains depictions of menstruation, and m/m sex.

Eevie shifted in the bed, a grimace marring her features. There was a dull ache in her lower abdomen, and she wondered if that was what had pulled her from a sound sleep. Then she shifted, not quite rolling onto her stomach so much as lifting herself up slightly and turning before dropping back down the half inch or so she had raised herself off the bed; with three people sharing one bed, it was the only way any of them could turn over and over the past week and a bit it had become habit, something she did without thinking.

 

Yet this morning, as she settled back down, she felt an all too familiar sensation between her thighs, of liquid letting down, followed by another cramp in her abdomen. Her eyes flew open and then she squinched them shut again, wanting to groan. She wasn’t due for another week; she had been tracking it with the Almanack, just the way Missus Murphy had taught her and all the other girls to do. Eevie silently weighed her options; she could try and go back to sleep, but whenever she felt this way sleep was never very forthcoming, and she was already dreading the stain she would find on the sheets when she moved. Getting up seemed the smart thing; clean up, and be out of bed when Bucky and Steve woke, so that she could avoid their usual morning intimacy. She would have to tell them that her monthly had come before anything got too far, and she didn’t want to see them recoil from her once she did. She didn’t want to imagine the mess that would result if they were to do anything, which was the final argument for getting out of bed. She disentangled herself from Bucky and Steve, crawling over Steve, who slept more soundly than Bucky, to get out of the bed.

 

Steve moved so he was on his back, not quite opening his eyes as he reached for Eevie. “S’allright?” Came the sleepy rumble.

 

“Everything’s fine. Just needed to get up a bit early this morning.” She said softly, placing a hand on his arm before scooping up her nightgown from what had become its usual spot on the floor and tugging it over her head. She couldn’t break the habit of wearing a nightgown to bed, despite the protests of her husbands that she was just creating more laundry for herself to do later. With Bucky and Steve in bed with her, the nightgown never stayed on her long, and she found herself picking it up off the floor every morning.

 

She could feel more of the uncomfortable moisture between her legs, so similar and yet so very different to how it felt when it was her husbands’ spend that was escaping her body and running down her thighs. She sighed and got her sanitary supplies from where she had tucked them inside the commode, pushed to the back where Steve and Bucky wouldn’t easily come across them. She gathered up her belt and one of the flannels that she had prepared according to Laura’s instructions, pinning the flannel to the belt and stabbing herself a few times with the pins used to secure it, hissing in pain each time but trying to remain as quiet as possible. Once the flannel was secured, she poured a bit of water from the pitcher atop the commode into the basin and used a washcloth to clean herself up, tucking the cloth away inside the commode so she could fetch it for cleaning later. Then, with some struggle in the pre-dawn gloom, got the belt on with the flannel between her legs. She shifted a little uncomfortably and sighed, not for the first time wishing that Eve had left the damned apple alone, or at least that the good Lord hadn’t seen fit to punish all women who came after for the Original Sin. The belt wasn’t comfortable, but it was better than the previous alternative of tucking a sanitary towel into her drawers.

 

She performed her morning ablutions as the sun rose, and was dressing when Bucky started to stir. She watched as he reached for where she usually slept between he and Steve, could sense the frown on his face when he didn’t find her.

 

“Eevie?” He asked drowsily.

 

“I’m over here.” She said softly, and she could see him relax at her words.

 

“Come back to bed.”

 

“I figured since I was already up, I’d get dressed and go for the eggs.” It wasn’t a lie, exactly, just not the entire truth.

 

Bucky groaned and shifted onto his back. “Come on, darlin’. Don’t you want us to start the morning right?”

 

She laughed softly, moving to Steve’s side of the bed and pressing a kiss against his shoulder. “Your husband wants some attention.” She murmured in his ear.

 

“My husband needs to learn that sleep is more important than his cock.” Steve muttered, rolling onto his stomach.

 

Eevie couldn’t help but laugh at that. Steve tended to be very blunt before he was fully awake, and it amused her to no end. “It’s time to get up. The cows want milking.” She said cheerily, managing not to wince as the ache in her abdomen intensified. The first day was always the absolute worst, and more often than not she spent it in bed curled around a hot water bottle, but that had been when there were others to take some of the load. She couldn’t do that anymore; if she didn’t do the work, it wouldn’t get done. And how would she explain it to Bucky and Steve?

 

As she collected the egg gathering basket, she mourned her hot water bottle.

 

That day was a trial for her. When she made up the bed she was relieved to see that she hadn’t stained the sheets; she had not been looking forward to explaining why she felt the need to wash the bedding in the middle of the week if she had. As she punched down the dough in the dough box rather viciously before setting it to rise again, she wished that there didn’t need to be such secrecy and subterfuge, wished that she could just tell them that her monthly had come and she would be cranky and sore for the next week.

 

“A lady,” She growled, scrubbing the flour from her hands, “Mustn’t speak of such things. It isn’t proper.” The words were Missus Callum’s, who had always been the one to come and speak to the girls about Eve and her original sin once they began to bleed, the one who had taken them aside one by one and explained what the blood had meant and the changes that would soon occur in their bodies. “We must bear the pain as penance.” She repeated the words, words that had been recited to her so often as she lay in bed, unable to function from pain, that she could recite them with ease, hear the words spoken in Missus Callum’s soft yet stern tone even though she was not present. “We must… We must…” She closed her eyes and sighed. She couldn’t finish. Remembering the litany wasn’t helping in the slightest; not that it had ever helped before. “I must get this work done, one way or another.” She told herself firmly, pushing Missus Callum’s words from her mind.

 

She eyed the tin of willow bark tea on the pantry shelf, and came to a decision. Missus Callum and Missus Murphey weren’t here to tell her that she had to suffer through it. The tea had helped with the pain from the wounds Old Scratch had inflicted, so it should help with the pain from her monthly.

 

Eevie brewed herself a cup of tea and sat down at the table, drinking it slowly and eating the last stale slice of bread slathered in green tomato preserves to help ease her stomach.

 

Thus fortified, and with pain somewhat eased, she managed to get through the rest of her day, though she was dreading the evening. She had come to the realization that she was going to need to tell Steve and Bucky about her monthly, that she couldn’t hide it forever. One of the both of them would feel amorous at some point, and they would find out anyway. Not that she was feeling particularly up to anything that night, she thought with a sigh as she got supper to the table, waiting on the two men she could hear talking as they washed up by the well.

 

Then she heard what they were saying and paused to listen. She knew she shouldn’t eavesdrop, but she had heard her name, and curiosity got the better of her.

 

“I’m glad you gave the relationship with Eevie a chance,” Steve was saying, “Just about as glad for it as I am for her agreeing to it.”

 

“It seemed like this would make you happy, and I can’t deny you happiness.” Bucky said, “Never could, never will. We’re together until the end of the trail. So of course I was going to give it a try, once I calmed down enough. Besides… You saw the look on her face when we met her. She was so damn happy to see me that I wouldn’t have had the heart to send her away. It would have been like kicking a puppy.”

 

Eevie wasn’t certain that she liked being compared to a puppy.

 

Bucky continued to speak, “But now that I know her a bit better, I like her. I’m glad we decided to keep her.”

 

“Me too.” Steve agreed. “The farm feels better with her on it. Brighter, somehow.”

 

“Yeah. Come on, supper smells good and my stomach is gnawing at my backbone.”

 

They were both laughing as they entered the house, and Eevie turned away quickly, getting the rest of the food from the stove and worktable, managing to smile at them as they greeted her, each one coming up and demanding a kiss in turn, Steve’s a brief affair but Bucky’s rather lingering. She finally pulled away.

 

“Sit down and eat before it gets cold.” She told him firmly.

 

“Yes ma’am.” Bucky grinned, going to take his seat at the table.

 

Eevie stewed over their words during supper. She knew she shouldn’t, and this mental discomfort was what came of eavesdropping, but… It still hurt. She had been able to tell herself that they had wanted her, even though Becca had been the one to post the ad and send for her, but after hearing that she was only there because Bucky thought it would make Steve happy… That hurt. It reminded her that they hadn’t wanted her, and had never needed her. And she had been so very happy to finally be wanted…

 

As she cleaned up and started scrubbing the dishes, she felt both like raging at them and like bursting into tears. Then Bucky came up behind her as he so often did, stepping close and wrapping his arms around her, his lips ghosting over the side of her neck. She tried to shrug off his touch, but he did not release her, kissing her shoulder instead. She wanted to slap him. Instead, she spoke, her tone icy.

 

“Like kicking a puppy, hm?”

 

Bucky stilled completely, “I guess you heard Steve and I talking.” He sounded a bit sheepish, but also a bit cautious.

 

“The door was open,” She pointed out, still scrubbing at a plate as if she could scour her hurt away if she scrubbed it hard enough, “The prairie is so still that your voices carry. I couldn’t help but overhear.” It was a bit of a fib, that she couldn’t help but overhear. If she had wanted to she could have turned away, set her attention to preparing the table for dinner, closed her ears to what was being said.

 

“Good thing we didn’t have anything bad to say.” Bucky’s tone was relaxed now, friendly.

 

“Is there anything bad to say?” Eevie asked, heart skipping a beat in sudden fear, the ridiculous, inexplicable fury that had made her want to rage at them gone in an instant. There was so much she had done wrong while on the farm, so much they could be angry or annoyed at her for.

 

“Can’t think of a thing.” Bucky assured her as Steve came up behind the two of them. He wrapped his arms around Bucky, hands lightly gripping Eevie’s waist as he nuzzled at Bucky’s neck.

 

“No complaints here.” Steve told her. “With either of you.”

 

“Even though neither of you were the ones who sent for me?” She asked anxiously, suddenly needing to be reassured that this was not wrong, that they did want her in some small way.

 

“Even though we weren’t the ones to send for you.” Steve agreed.

 

“How you got here doesn’t change anything. You’re here, and we’re married. The how we got together part isn’t important.” Bucky said, resting her chin on his shoulder.

 

“Yes, it is.” Eevie sighed, feeling oddly deflated, leaning back against Bucky slightly. “I thought… I got that letter and I thought that for once in my life, someone finally wanted me.” Bucky’s arms tightened around her, Steve gripping her hips a bit harder, “Then I got here and… You two have been wonderful, but you didn’t want me, not really. You were fine with one another before I got here.”

 

“We want you now, darlin’.” Bucky said gently, “After starting to know you, how could we not? We wouldn’t trade you for anyone else. At least, I wouldn’t, I can’t speak for Steve-”

 

“-I wouldn’t either.” Steve told them both firmly.

 

“See?” Bucky asked, “Eevie, darlin’, you’re someone I can see myself loving someday, just as much as I love Steve, and I can definitely see myself spending my life with the two of you. I want that, for the three of us to grow old together, have a family.”

 

“I can’t wait to see the two of you holding our children.” Steve added. “Love will come with time; caring for you is so easy that loving you won’t be hard at all, and that will happen when it happens. I know it will, just not when. Now, why don’t the three of us head to bed early, and then Bucky and I can show you just how much we want you, sweetheart.”

 

“I… Would you mind if I said not tonight?” She ventured, “I have a few things I’d like to do, and… Well, you two go on ahead.”

 

“Well, I’m not going to argue, but I am going to ask if you’re sure.” Bucky said as he released her.

 

“I’m sure. I need a little time alone right now, and so do the two of you.” She said, looking down at the washbasin.

 

“We’ll make it up to you when you come to bed.” Steve promised, “We-”

 

“You can’t!” She blanched at the thought, before sighing, and closing her eyes. _Just tell them,_ she told herself firmly. They needed to know. “I… My monthly came today.” The words were quieter than intended, but she wasn’t certain she could come out and say it in a normal tone of voice, or without sounding so apologetic about it. “I’m not feeling particularly comfortable, or much like having relations.”

 

If they were bothered by mention of her monthly, they gave no sign. Bucky tightened his arms around her waist again and placed another kiss on her shoulder.

 

“Whatever you want, darlin’. Come on in when you’re ready.” He hesitated a moment, “You don’t mind my taking Steve off for some lovin’?”

 

She smiled at that, before turning in his arms so she could look up at him, see Steve with his chin resting on Bucky’s shoulder. “I don’t mind.” She assured them. “Not as long as you two are happy.”

 

“Your happiness matters just as much as ours.” Steve said firmly, blue gaze so full of tender warmth as he looked at her.

 

“I don’t mind. I’ll feel better if you two do, to be honest, since I can’t join you tonight.” She confessed, reaching up a hand, still wet from the dishwater, and touching Steve’s cheek, then Bucky’s. She stood on her toes and gave Bucky a quick kiss, then angling to give Steve one as well, a little awkward with Bucky in between them, but they managed. “You two go on now, and let me finish cleaning up the kitchen. Then I’m going to sit and sew a while, all right?”

 

They both smiled down at her, and Bucky bowed his head, giving her a longer, lingering kiss. “You take your time, darlin’, and join us when you’re ready.” He murmured against her lips, before releasing her, slipping out from between her and Steve, who was all too happy to take Bucky’s place and kiss Eevie just as he had.

 

“Take all the time you need, sweetheart.” He echoed Bucky, “And if you want to come join us early on, well, I doubt we’d mind an audience if it was you.” He gave her a surprisingly roguish grin, not the sort of look he had ever given her before, and she blinked at him in surprise before laughing, pulling him down for another kiss.

 

“I doubt it will come to that tonight, but I’ll keep that in mind for the future.” She assured, “Now go, so I can finish cleaning these dishes.”

 

“Whatever you say, Missus Barnes-Rogers.” He placed a kiss atop her head, before moving away, linking hands with Bucky as the two made their way to the bedroom. She watched after them, then turned back to the dishes, feeling oddly relieved, almost buoyant.

 

Inside the bedroom, Steve turned to kiss Bucky, slow, but filled with need. Bucky wasn’t the only one who had missed their usual morning activities—even though Steve had protested in favor of sleep—and Steve had been looking forward to getting Bucky and Eevie back into bed all day long. He had been a trifle dejected when Eevie had declined, though when she had said why, he had understood. It just meant that he could get to focus all of his attention on Bucky, something he hadn’t done since Eevie had arrived. And while it was wonderful between the three of them, sometimes he did miss the times when it had just been him and Bucky in bed together.

 

There were no words spoken between the two men; the only thing exchanged were caresses and long kisses that grew in heat and intensity. Steve’s hands moved to Bucky’s suspenders, getting them pushed down his shoulders. Bucky reached up to unfasten the buttons at the yoke of his shirt and then Steve lifted the shirt up and over his head, casting it aside, pressing him against one of the plastered walls. Bucky moaned and rolled his hips forward as Steve dragged his lips down his neck, finding a spot and sucking on it, making Bucky moan again.

 

“Not even going to get to the bed tonight?” Bucky asked as he reached down to unfasten his trousers and push them down, remembering his boots only too late and cussing as they got tangled up in his trousers.

 

Steve drew back, laughing softly. “Well, it wasn’t the plan, anyway, but we probably should. It’ll make it easier to get to the oil.”

 

Bucky chuckled at that, pulling up his pants enough so that he could struggle with the boot jack. Once his boots were off he finished undressing, Steve using the boot jack while he did.

 

“Getting you out of your clothes shouldn’t be this difficult.” Steve grumbled. “Getting _me_ out of my own clothes shouldn’t be this difficult.”

 

“Does take some of the fun out of it, having to take time to get undressed.” Bucky sat on the edge of the bed, watching Steve quite avidly.

 

“Bucky, there are very few things that take the fun out of this. Taking time to get undressed just adds to the anticipation.” Steve grinned over at Bucky, beginning to slowly undress for him. Bucky watched, unable to keep the grin from his face as he watched, proudly thinking that this was his _husband_ , the man he loved so much it hurt, the man who loved him the same way. _To hell with sitting and watching,_ he decided, standing and going to Steve, pulling Steve’s shirt up and over his head before kissing him, hard and demanding.

 

“I’m not done yet.” Steve murmured against Bucky’s lips, reaching around and gripping Bucky’s firm ass, rolling his clothed hips up against Bucky’s, grinding against him in a way that made both men moan from the pleasure of the simple action.

 

“Then hurry up and get done.” Bucky breathed out, his hands caressing down Steve’s chest, then going to the fastenings of his trousers.

 

Steve wrapped his fingers around Bucky’s cock, giving it a slow stroke. “I’ll get there.” He promised his love, “I think you need to learn a little patience.”

 

Bucky let out a moan as Steve stroked him, “And you’re the one to teach me patience? You’re worse than I am.”

 

“We’ll work on it some other time.” Steve chuckled, kissing Bucky’s throat. “Come to bed with me.”

 

“With pleasure.” Bucky breathed, taking a step back as Steve drew his hand away from his cock. Even though Steve was no longer holding him, he moved with Bucky, backing him to the bed until Bucky’s calves hit the edge of it, and then they were tumbling down onto the straw filled mattress together, a tangle of strong limbs, kissing and caressing, both of them beginning where the other ended, but they couldn’t say where either of them ended or began because they were too wrapped up in one another.

 

Steve continued to grind against Bucky, their cocks rubbing together and creating delicious friction that served to work them both up. Steve stretched and reached into the drawer of the nightstand, bringing out the jar of oil they used to make things work a bit smoother between them. He got it open and managed not to spill, setting it on the nightstand and dipping his fingers into it as he kissed Bucky hungrily, pushing him down into the mattress.

 

Bucky went willingly; it wasn’t often that Steve initiated, that he needed to be in charge, but whenever it happened Bucky treasured it, and made certain that Steve got what he wanted, while Steve made sure that Bucky got what he wanted. No matter who led their intimate dance, they both ended it well satisfied.

 

Bucky groaned in pleasure as Steve worked his slicked-up fingers over Bucky’s asshole and teased at it, getting it well coated, drawing his hand away for more oil before continuing to tease it. Then he pushed two fingers slowly into Bucky’s ass, and the brunet grunted, his body tensing at the sudden invasion, even though he knew it was a precursor to pleasure and gratification. He clenched around Steve’s fingers, unable to help himself, and tried willing himself to relax, sucking in a deep breath through his nose and letting it out through his mouth.

 

“Just like that, Buck.” Steve praised, lips once more on Bucky’s neck as he kissed and licked and even bit lightly, drawing more and more sounds from Bucky, moans and groans and even a whimper. Steve worked his fingers deeper into his lover, worked his fingers inside of him as he stretched and worked at Bucky, the pinch and burn of it soon fading and something that was pure pleasure replacing it.

 

“Feels good. Feels so damn good.” Bucky panted out as he relaxed further. The more he relaxed, the deeper Steve’s fingers probed, until the questing digits found the smooth, spongy surface that they had been seeking. Steve pushed down on it and Bucky let out a sound that was half snarl and half pleased sob, his cock jerking, precum already leaking from the head and forming a sticky runnel down the length of him.

 

“Come on, Stevie.” Bucky tried to command, but he was too far gone for there to be any weight to his tone, and it came out a plea instead.

 

“I’ve got ya, Buck. Don’t worry.” Steve promised, slowly withdrawing his fingers, using the oil to slick up his cock. Bucky spread his legs wider, knowing what Steve wanted, that tonight they would be facing each other instead of one of them pressing against the other’s back. Steve moved to press the head of his cock against Bucky’s asshole, teasing them both a moment, before sinking into his lover slowly.

 

He moved to kiss Bucky, a deep kiss that left Bucky gasping for air and needing more as Steve rolled his hips slowly into him, fucking him slowly, able to hit that spongy spot that made Bucky cry out with every thrust, angling so that he could. With each thrust he pressed in a bit deeper, began to move a little faster, until finally he was bottoming out in his lover, moving at a punishing speed that the both of them loved.

 

Their noises filled the room, pants and moans, the strange little whine Bucky sometimes made when he was close and reaching for release but couldn’t quite make it, not without help. His arms were around Steve, wrapped around him like steel bands, the fingers of one hand digging into the flesh of his shoulder, the other digging into the perfect globe of Steve’s ass, trying to pull him deeper with every thrust. Then he made that whine again, panted out Steve’s name. Steve bowed his head and captured Bucky’s lips in a demanding kiss, and Bucky was finally able to reach the destination so desired, his orgasm hitting him like the kick of a mule, sudden and sharp and all encompassing. He cried out into Steve’s mouth, shouted out his pleasure, spilling over his stomach, his spend getting all over the both of them.

 

Then Steve was grunting, letting out a little snarl as he came, stilling inside Bucky as he pulsed and filled him.

 

“… God damn.” Bucky finally choked out, Steve slowly withdrawing from his body.

 

“God damn.” Steve agreed, voice hoarse. He stood, legs feeling a bit wobbly as he moved to the commode, getting a clean cloth and wetting it with water from the pitcher, returning to Bucky, who lay limp and boneless. Steve carefully wiped the semen from his abdomen and cock, before going back to the wash basin and pitcher, cleaning himself up and leaving the cloth to dry before joining Bucky in bed once more, pulling him into his arms and sharing long, lazy kisses with him.

 

The two men were sated and dozing when Eevie finally slipped into the room that night. She hesitated after changing into her nightgown, seeing the two men curled up close to the center of the bed, leaving her only a little room on one of the edges. Thinking them asleep, she tried to squeeze herself onto the bed on Bucky’s side, only to yelp in surprise as she was pulled over Bucky’s solid form to be squeezed in between the two. She started to protest but Steve kissed her, a long, demanding kiss that made her whimper and start to shrink away. Finally, she turned her head and broke the kiss, feeling hands roaming over her body, her sensitive breasts, and while it felt so, so good, she knew it had to stop.

 

“Please. Not tonight.” She tried to keep her tone even, tried to make it sound like a simple request.

 

“Not tonight.” Steve agreed.

 

“Doesn’t mean we can’t touch and kiss you, darlin’.” Bucky murmured, pressing kisses along her shoulder. She moaned softly.

 

“You two are absolutely insatiable.” She breathed out, reaching to run a hand slowly up and down Steve’s side.

 

“Like you’re not.” Bucky chuckled drowsily.

 

“I’m asking for a reprieve tonight, aren’t I?”

 

“Only because of your monthly.” Steve murmured. “We don’t care about that, sweetheart. Might make things a bit messy, but isn’t it always?”

 

“Maybe tomorrow?” She suggested, “The first day is… Well. If it wasn’t so hot in here already, I’d be bringing a hot water bottle to bed with me.”

 

“Whatever you want, darlin.” Bucky murmured as Steve kissed her again.

 

“Sleep sweet.” Steve said, before curling up around her on one side, Bucky doing the same to her other. Eevie couldn’t help but smile as she settled down between the two of them, sleep slowly claiming them for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please pardon errors, this chapter was literally written at 3 am and was not proofed by a beta.
> 
> I would not have survived in the 1800s. I would have lived to the ripe old age of "died in puberty".
> 
> Also, our girl Eevie is not a paragon; she has a lot of failings, mood swings among them. As tempting as it is, I'm not going to write her as the Perfect Woman. That would be boring.


	13. Chapter 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Sunday dinner is had, and Eevie starts throwing things.

The rest of the week seemed to fly by, and soon it was Sunday evening and they were all gathered around the small table in Becca and Isaac’s one room soddy. The table had already been set for them when they had arrived, Isaac happily welcoming them into the little home. Bucky and Steve spoke to Isaac for a few minutes, while Eevie hurried to where Becca was in the small kitchen area. She tried not to look at the hard-packed dirt floor or unplastered walls, or notice how dim it was without the large windows that Bucky had built into his sod house. Everything about the house was cramped and dark, and Eevie couldn’t help but wonder why Becca had chosen to leave such a pleasant home for a soddy of this sort, and then silently chastised herself for those thoughts. It didn’t matter what the house looked like, as long as it kept them warm and safe, and as long as it was filled with love.

 

“Is there anything I can help with?” Eevie asked brightly, eager to help, eager to dismiss her shameful thoughts.

 

“No need, I just need to finish with the gravy.” Becca smiled at her, cheeks ruddy from the heat of the stove that she had been laboring over. “Besides, you’re company. You shouldn’t be worried about helping me in the kitchen.”

 

“I’m your sister-in-law, I don’t think I qualify as company, but as family.” Eevie pointed out with a grin, making Becca laugh.

 

“That’s true enough. I’ve got everything on the table already except the gravy. You three got here just in time.” Becca said as she continued to whisk the gravy, slowly adding in the drippings from the ham.

 

“Everything looks and smells delicious.” Eevie praised as she looked over at the table. Near what was no doubt Isaac’s seat, she saw the crowning glory of the meal; a large ham, the skin scored to leave diamond patterns, the entire thing beautifully glazed and looking as if it belonged on a table in some mansion far away, not on the rickety wooden table covered by a red and white checked tablecloth.

 

“Go on and take your seat. I’ve got you seated between Steve and Bucky, Bucky’s to be at the foot of the table.” Becca instructed, loud enough so that the menfolk could hear, “Steve will be to Isaac’s right.”

 

“Just as organized as ever.” Bucky said fondly, approaching the table, “Come on, darlin’, let’s take our seats and let Becca get everything situated the way she wants.”

 

“All right.” Eevie smiled, going to the table, taking the seat Isaac indicated with quiet thanks. She eyed the contents of the table, wishing that she could turn out a spread like this one, and knowing she didn’t have the skill, not quite yet, but she would soon enough with time and practice.

 

As Becca joined them all at the table with the bowl of gravy, everyone joined hands, Isaac saying a brief prayer before the plates began to be passed around. Isaac carved the ham and laid thick slices on each plate, before passing the plates to Becca, who added large helpings of smoky sweet baked beans, boiled potatoes with plenty of ham gravy, heaps of mashed turnips, and piles of candied carrots to them. The plates were then passed about the table, the first going to Eevie, then to Bucky, then to Steve, then to Becca, with Isaac getting the last plate.

 

As Eevie sampled Becca’s cooking, she couldn’t help but to briefly close her eyes in pleasure at the tastes exploding across her tongue. Everything was seasoned to perfection, nothing overcooked or too rubbery, the way some of Eevie’s attempts at cooking came out. She was jealous of the other woman’s skill, and wondered how Steve and Bucky were able to put up with her cooking after eating Becca’s for so long.

 

The conversation soon pushed such envious thoughts to the back of her mind. Isaac was quiet compared to Becca, but the two were still talkative, Becca telling all about the improvements Isaac had made to the land.

 

“You forgot one thing,” Isaac said to Becca as she began to wind down, “Haven’t started yet, and I was hoping for help from Bucky and Steve to get it done.”

 

Becca looked to Isaac in surprise, “Get what done?” She asked, “Are you going to dig a new well? The one that we have is perfectly fine.”

 

“Not that.” Isaac looked to Steve and Bucky, “I’d like to put up a frame house before harvest time. I’ve ordered the materials from Cobb City, and they’re due to be delivered Tuesday or Wednesday.”

 

Becca gasped, clearly delighted, “A frame house?” Then she looked worried, “Can we afford the expense? I don’t mind our little house-”

 

“It’s still going to be a little house.” Isaac warned her with a smile, “The crops and stock have done well the last four years, and I’ve been saving every cent I could since coming to Babel so’s I could build a proper house. Feels like it’s time, if I can get a bit of help to do the work.”

 

“Can’t speak for Steve, but I know I wouldn’t mind helping you in the slightest.” Bucky was grinning, “Be good to get the practice in for when we eventually build our own. Been saving up just about as long as you have.”

 

“Never planned on living in a sod house forever.” Steve agreed, “We’d be happy to help you and Becca out.”

 

“And when it comes time to build yours, we’ll be there to help.” Isaac promised them.

 

“We’d appreciate that. When were you looking to start? This week?” Steve asked as he finished the last of the ham on his plate.

 

“Next week. I want to make sure all the materials we’re going to need get delivered before we start, though I’ll probably start in on digging the root cellar this week.”

 

“Thought you had a root cellar.” Bucky frowned slightly.

 

“We do. I want a bigger one, though. More space for storage, and a better place to shelter during storms.”

 

“Shelter during storms?” Eevie asked curiously, a little confused.

 

“Twisters.” Bucky said simply. “You were lucky and missed twister season this year. Usually we get ‘em in spring and early summer. Only thing to do when you see one coming is to go down cellar and pray.”

 

“We haven’t had one touch down in these parts yet, not that anyone knows about,” Steve hastened, seeing the look of shock on Eevie’s face. “There’s nothing to worry about. Isaac is just being safe, that’s all.”

 

“Doubt we’ll ever need to shelter there, but I’d rather have a large cellar and not need it, than need one and not have it.” Isaac pointed out.

 

“I know what you mean.” Bucky said quietly, thoughtfully.

 

“I was short sighted when I built the first cellar, didn’t think about how I’d need something larger when I had a wife and family. Barely enough room in there to hold a harvest.”

 

“Steve and I can switch off days, help you dig.” Bucky offered. “Won’t be enough room for all three of us to dig at the same time, I remember that from building ours. Steve and I kept getting in each other’s way.”

 

“That would be greatly appreciated.”

 

“I’ll come on by tomorrow, if that’s all right then.” Bucky decided.

 

“We’ll look forward to having you. You’ll stay for dinner, of course, but will you stay for supper as well? You can too, Steve, on the days you come to help.”

 

“I’d appreciate that.” Steve smiled.

 

Eevie would appreciate it as well; she liked spending time with both Steve and Bucky, but it would be nice to have a little time alone with each of them.

 

“Between the three of us, we’ll be able to get the root cellar done in a week, maybe two. House will take another two weeks or so. It’ll cut things close to harvest time, but I think it’s manageable.” Isaac said. “I’m going to see if some of the neighbors will help as well. I helped Richard Proctor with his house earlier this year, he’ll want to repay the favor.”

 

“Wilsons will want to help.” Steve mused. “They’re close by you, aren’t they?”

 

“Reverend Coulson always likes to come out when someone start building something.” Bucky pointed out, before grinning, “Though I think it’s more for the food, than anything else.”

 

The others laughed at that, and Eevie grinned and couldn’t help but let out a giggle at the thought. A bachelor would surely enjoy a good meal every once in a while, and a reverend should help his flock where he could, even when it came to building houses.

 

“Since you’re hosting us this week, and you’ll be hosting Steve or myself all during the week, why don’t you come to Sunday dinner at our place next week?” Bucky asked Isaac and Becca, Eevie’s smile becoming slightly fixed. She knew that she would have to invite them to dinner at some point, but most certainly had not been planning on it being the following weekend.

 

“We would love to.” Becca smiled, before looking to Eevie, “I can’t wait to see what touches you’ve put on the place.”

 

“I haven’t had much chance to make many yet.” Eevie said quickly as she set her fork down, her appetite gone. She was not ready to have Becca over; she was certain she wasn’t keeping things running properly as Becca would have, and she knew that she could not cook anywhere near as well as her sister-in-law could.

 

“You will. It takes a little time.” Becca smiled reassuringly. Eevie wanted to look around the small soddy and ask Becca how many hours it had taken for her to make her mark on her new home, but she held her tongue. Becca was not deserving of such a comment, and Eevie knew it.

 

Eevie managed to smile instead. “We certainly have that. Time, I mean.”

 

“Got all the time in the world.” Steve agreed with her, smiling at her, and then at Bucky, who gave him a loving smile in return.

 

“All the time in the world.” He agreed.

 

~*~

 

The ride back to their farm was pleasant; this time Steve driving the wagon, as Bucky had driven the wagon to Becca’s. Eevie was both glad and disappointed that it was Steve driving; glad because it put off the tongue lashing she was planning on giving Bucky, disappointed because it meant she would have to give it to Bucky at home instead of on the road, that she would have to do it in front of Steve. She didn’t like the idea of yelling at one in front of the other; arguments should be private… But Steve should also know what was going on so that he did not make the same mistakes that she was planning on chastising Bucky for.

 

When they reached the farm, Steve went to take care of the horses and put them up for the night, Eevie following after him, giving affectionate pats and caresses to the horses, before kissing Steve’s cheek and heading towards the house, taking a deep breath to brace herself just outside the door, the anger and frustration still roiling inside her, just as it had all through the drive home.

 

Once inside, she paused in the main room to remove the squashed mourning bonnet she had for a hat, frowning at Bucky as he came out of the bedroom, already barefoot and shirtless, suspenders hanging down from his trousers. He was giving her that grin that told her he was thinking of nothing more than getting her and Steve into bed for a bit of fun and loving before they went to sleep.

 

“Have a good ride, darlin’?”

 

She ignored the double entendre. In fact, she ignored him entirely, closing her eyes and taking another steadying breath. When she opened her eyes, Bucky’s smile had faded.

 

“Darlin’?”

 

“What, exactly, were you thinking?” She demanded in a tone so cold that the temperature around her lowered several degrees. Bucky, who had started to take a step towards her, stopped short, looking confused.

 

“What?”

 

“What, exactly, were you thinking?” She repeated in her iciest tone.

 

“I’m not sure what you’re talking about, darlin’-”

 

“Don’t you ‘darlin’’ me!” She snapped. “Am I not worthy of your consideration when it comes to others?”

 

Bucky was clearly bewildered, but he began to bristle at her words, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, but I’m not going to sit here and get yelled at unless you start talking sense!”

 

“You say you can’t speak for Steve, won’t volunteer him for something without asking, but then you turn around and volunteer me without even thinking about asking me first!” She spat out as Steve entered the house. He froze, gaping at Eevie, not having suspected she could carry such cold fury in her.

 

Bucky scowled, “I didn’t volunteer you for a damned thing-”

 

“I believe your exact words were ‘why don’t you come to Sunday dinner at our place next week.’” She growled, “Which means that you volunteered me to cook a Sunday dinner—for _company_ —without asking me!”

 

Bucky was back to confused. “I was only being polite, since they hosted us-”

 

“I am not ready to cook a meal for company.” She hissed. “I can barely cook for the three of us! I have seen the faces the two of you make when it comes to eating some of the things I’ve cooked-”

 

“Sweetheart-” Steve started.

 

“-Don’t you try and deny it,” She snapped, cutting him off. “But that isn’t the important part.” She looked back to Bucky, “You refuse to speak for Steve and volunteer him for anything, but then you turned right around and volunteered me!” She repeated. “I thought the three of us were supposed to be equal partners in this marriage, that we weren’t going to place anyone above the other, and yet you still give Steve more consideration than you do me!”

 

Bucky now looked gobsmacked, only realizing the implications behind his invite now that it had been pointed out to him so bluntly. “… Shit.”

 

“Language.” Steve said, sounding weary, reaching up to pinch the bridge of his nose. “And she’s right.”

 

“I’m just realizing that.” Bucky snapped at Steve, before taking a breath, running his hand through his hair. “I’m sorry, Eevie. I didn’t even think of it like that. And you’re right, I should have. You could have gotten the point across with a bit less yelling, though.” Eevie scowled darkly, and he held up his hands in a ‘don’t shoot’ gesture. “Not that I didn’t deserve some yelling at.” He said quickly.

 

“We need to talk a bit more from here on out.” Steve said slowly, trying to mediate between the two, help to calm Eevie down. He didn’t want to say it directly to Bucky, but Steve agreed with her. Saying it, however, would be too close to taking sides, and that was something he knew he should not do. None of them should do. “Neither of us had any clue you felt that way, Eevie, but we should have. Just because Bucky and I have been looking out for one another since we were kids doesn’t mean that we can ignore you or your feelings. Next time we’ll know to ask you first, before volunteering you to do so much as twitch a muscle, just as Buck and I do for each other, all right?”

 

Some of the righteous fury had ebbed from Eevie, and they could see her tense posture begin to relax, particularly how the stiffness of her shoulders eased. “That’s all I can ask for. It’s all I need.”

 

“You are just as important to me as Steve is, and I’m sorry that I made you doubt that even for an instant.” Bucky told her earnestly, “I didn’t think of it the same way, that cooking dinner was like building a house-” She stiffened again, and he hastened to correct himself, “-But I guess it is. I just never looked at it that way before. Or thought that you might not want to cook for company.”

 

“My cooking is awful.” She said flatly.

 

“It’s really not that bad.” Bucky assured her.

 

“You can’t be the first person to mix up salt and sugar.” Steve tried to say helpfully. “And I’ve forgotten to shave the salt pork a time or two myself.”

 

“And you haven’t burnt or undercooked anything in the past three days.” Bucky added, flinching slightly but catching her hat when she threw it at him. His eyes widened when he saw her reach for a book to use as her next projectile, but Steve scooted right up to her and wrapped his arms around her, leaving her unable to reach for the book or hurl it at Bucky.

 

“Now honey, we were just teasing you.” Steve assured her, keeping her arms pinned at her sides. “It… Probably wasn’t the best idea.”

 

“No, it probably wasn’t.” Eevie tilted her head back to scowl up at him. Steve looked down at her, unable to keep from grinning.

 

“You understand that this is ridiculous? Fighting like this, throwing things?”

 

She sighed, closed her eyes, and leaned back against him. “I’m sorry.” She said finally, after several long minutes had passed and the hot fury had calmed to irritation. “I just got _so mad_ , I couldn’t even think straight.”

 

“That’s how it is sometimes.” Steve assured her.

 

“Wasn’t like I didn’t deserve it.” Bucky said as he approached them, though he was clearly cautious. Eevie sighed again and opened her eyes, before giving him a tiny apologetic smile, holding out her arms. He quickly stepped into them, wrapping his arms around both her and Steve.

 

“Less yelling, more talking. And when we get mad, we leave the room and come back once we’ve cooled down.” Steve told his spouses firmly.

 

“And no pouring fat on the fire.” Bucky added.

 

“Agreed.” Eevie said, eyes closed once more as she rested her head on Bucky’s chest, listening to the steady sound of his heartbeat.

 

“And we never let the sun set on our anger.” Steve added.

 

“Not ever.” Eevie agreed, Bucky echoing her.

 

“And now that we’ve had our first fight, we’re going to go to bed and make up. If the two of you are agreeable, that is.” Steve said, tone an enticing murmur.

 

“When am I anything but agreeable to getting either of you into bed?” Bucky asked Steve drily.

 

“Insatiable.” Eevie smiled, still resting her head against Bucky but leaning more against Steve. As frustrating as they were at times, she wouldn’t have them any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, Eevie's letting them off lightly.


	14. Chapter 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Eevie learns that there isn't a butcher's shop.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: this chapter includes the description (I tried not to be graphic) of killing and cleaning poultry. I promise, if you can't stomach that, just go ahead and skip this chapter. There is some introspection, and a little bit of relationship building between Bucky and Eevie, but nothing critical.

The following day Steve left for Isaac and Becca’s while Bucky took Eevie to town, where Doctor Streiten was quite pleased at how well his instructions had been followed. The doctor took out Eevie’s stitches and proclaimed her to be well on the road to recovery; there were signs of infection of course, but as he explained while cleaning the wounds it was the good sort of infection that was to be expected with all wounds, not the worrisome sort that doctors feared to see. He then cautioned her to keep the wounds clean and keep an eye on the infection, and to come see him immediately if there was any change in the discharge.

 

Then Bucky took Eevie back home, kissing her on her temple before seeing to the horses and heading out to the fields to check on the crops. Eevie smiled to watch him go, feeling much better after her fit of temper the night before, though she did feel a bit ashamed of it. A grown woman such as herself, yelling and throwing things at her husband. _A woman must never speak until she can do so in a calm and gentle manner,_ Missus Murphy’s voice came to her as she went to gather up the laundry. _If you cannot control your tone in such a way, you must remain silent until you can control yourself._

 

She almost snorted at that. If she had acted the way she had behaved the previous night at the orphanage, she would have been sent to bed with stinging hands and buttocks from the whipping she would rightly deserve.

 

Not for the first time, she was glad that she was no longer a ward of the state of Vermont. As much as she missed certain aspects of her old life—the company of her friends in particular—she was happier with Steve and Bucky.

 

 _It will be so easy to love them,_ she mused as she stirred the laundry in the boiling tub with a long handled wooden paddle. _I can see myself loving them so easily, spending the rest of our lives together._ She had a mental image of them as snowy-haired elders, Steve and Bucky still appearing strong despite their age. She couldn’t quite picture herself, but picturing the two of them was easy.

 

Later, as she hung the laundry to dry in the bright sun in defiance of the oppressive humidity, she set her mind to trying to wonder what their children would look like, when they eventually came. She knew that none of their children would look like both of their fathers, despite how she truly wished that they would. A child with Bucky’s eyes and Steve’s shining smile was an image that made her heart ache and her arms long to hold him.

 

 _Soon,_ she told herself firmly. _I can’t help but to fall pregnant, with how we’ve been carrying on._

 

Only, that night Steve was fractious and irritable after a long day of digging. Bucky took it in stride, and Eevie tried to follow his example. Steve went to bed straightaway after dinner, pleading exhaustion. It led to another instance of Bucky flipping up Eevie’s skirt and taking her from behind while she tried to wash dishes and laughingly scolded him, the two of them finally ending up on the floor together, a sweaty tangle of limbs and partially discarded clothing.

 

The following evening it was Bucky who was tired from his labors, but as Steve better knew what awaited him the following day, his ardor was cooled as well.

 

Eevie found that she resented Becca and Isaac, and the inconvenience to her desires that the construction of the new root cellar and house were bringing to bear. Even though it had only been two weeks, and she had been indisposed for five of the days, Eevie was still used to a certain amount of intimacy from her husbands, and now that she was finally able to participate again, they were too tired. She took her frustrations out on the housework, scrubbing the little sod house relentlessly.

 

When Friday finally came around, she was very cross indeed, but was also doing her best not to show it. So when she felt strong arms encircle her waist and soft lips pressing against her neck on Friday morning while she washed the breakfast dishes, she couldn’t help but to smile, setting the dishes and cloth down in the wash basin and closing her eyes, leaning back against the man holding her. She didn’t check to see who it was—not that it mattered to her, which husband it was—simply enjoying the feeling of being wanted again.

 

“You’ve been looking lonely lately.” Bucky murmured in her ear.

 

“I’ve been feeling a little lonely lately.” She confessed, somewhat reluctantly. “I know that you’re both working hard, and that you’re tired, but… I miss what it was like. Before.”

 

“I do too. And I bet Steve does as well.” Bucky sighed. “Harvest time will be like this, or near enough, but after we get the harvest in and everything tucked away for the winter, there will be plenty of lazy winter mornings and evenings spent in bed.”

 

Eevie smiled at the pleasant thought. “I’ll look forward to winter, then. But won’t there be time for us before that?”

 

“We’ll find a way to make time.” Bucky promised her, “Even if it’s only Saturdays or Sundays.”

 

She turned around in his arms so that she was facing him, reaching up and looping her arms around his neck. “I hope that’s a promise.” She said with a grin.

 

“It is.” He assured her, before bowing his head and kissing her, deep and tender. Finally he drew back, feathering lighter kisses on her cheek, nose, and then her forehead. “I should be getting out to the fields. Ain’t much more we can do this close to harvest, but it makes me feel better to keep an eye on things, do some weeding.”

 

“All right.” She sighed reluctantly, slipping her arms from around his neck.

 

“You figured out what you’re going to serve for dinner on Sunday?” He asked almost hesitantly, knowing that it was still a sore subject for Eevie.

 

“Not yet.” She sighed.

 

“What about a chicken pudding? With plenty of gravy to go with it.” He suggested. When Eevie frowned thoughtfully, he continued quickly, “Becca made it a few times. There’s a recipe for it in that book you two have.”

 

Eevie looked uncertain, “I don’t know…”

 

“It’s a pie, isn’t it? So, it should be as easy as pie.” Bucky said with a grin, earning a scowl from Eevie. “All right, I deserved that. But honest, take a look at the recipe. Shouldn’t be that hard.”

 

“I’ll try, but I can’t promise that it will be any good.” Eevie said rather dubiously.

 

“It’ll be fine.” Bucky assured her. “We’ve got a couple pullets you can kill for it.”

 

“Could… Could you…?”

 

“Sure, I’ll show you. Go get the book, see how many you need. I think Becca killed four for hers.” Bucky said. “I’ll finish up the dishes while you do, get the water on to scald the birds. Makes them easier to pluck, you give them a good scalding first.”

 

“I… All right.” Eevie said weakly. “I meant… I was hoping you would do the butchering.”

 

“No.” Eevie gaped at him, and Bucky sighed, placing his hands on her shoulders. “I know what it’s like, coming from a place where your meat comes from a butcher, but you need to know how to do this, darlin’. We’ve all done it before, but now it’s your turn. All right? I’ll help you with the first one, but after that, it’s going to be on you alone.”

 

Eevie bit her lower lip, before nodding.

 

“That’s my girl.” Bucky smiled, before leaning and giving her another kiss, quick, but still tender, “Go and get your recipe, and I’ll finish up here.”

 

“All right.” She whispered, before turning to find her recipe book.

 

“Beat ten eggs very light, add to them a quart of rich milk, with a quarter of a pound of butter melted, and some pepper and salt; stir in as much flour as will make a thin good batter; take four young chickens, and after cleaning them nicely, cut off the legs and wings etcetera, put them all in a sauce pan, with some salt and water, and a bundle of thyme and parsley, boil them till nearly done, then take the chicken from the water and put it in the batter pour it in a dish and bake it, send nice white gravy in a boat.” Eevie read slowly.

 

“Four birds it is, then.” Bucky said cheerfully, putting the large pot filled with water on the back of the stove. “We need to get this scalding hot to dip the chickens in. Makes it easier to pluck them, loosens the feathers a bit, but we don’t want them in it too long, or hot enough to cook them.” Bucky explained. “After we kill them and drain them, we give them a good dunk, then you can pluck them, and hang them up in the root cellar until you cook the pudding.”

 

“All right.” Eevie managed, setting her book aside. “As soon as the water is hot, show me what to do.”

 

Bucky smiled at her, pleased by her determination, even though she very clearly did not want to do this.

 

Once the water was steaming hot, Bucky instructed Eevie to follow him with her sharpest knife and a plate, and then carefully carried the pot out to the tool shed by the barn, where there was a metal cone without a tip bolted upside down to the wall. Bucky set the pot down on a nearby work table, and took Eevie to the chicken coop, where he pointed out which four of the nearly thirty chickens would be good for their table. He helped Eevie gather them up (as she was still skittish around the feathered hell spawn, as she called them) and tied their legs together so that they could not run away. He left them on the ground and put a metal pail beneath the cone, before scooping up one of the chickens and placing it in the cone so that it hung upside down, head sticking out of the bottom, facing the wall of the shed.

 

"I'll do the first one, but you need to do the rest." Bucky reiterated, picking up the sharp knife from where Eevie had left it on the work table.

 

Eevie watched as he did the deed, flinching away, feeling her gorge rise. She had known where the food on the table and in the pantry had come from, but that was in a more abstract sort of way. She had never given a thought to where her food had actually come from, and what it might be like to kill her own.

 

Bucky showed her how, after a few minutes of waiting for the blood to drain, to dip the chicken into the scalding water to loosen the feathers, then how to quickly strip the feathers away and clean the carcass, chucking most of the innards into the bucket the blood had drained into, but guiding her to pick out the choicest giblets for gravy.

 

By this point, Eevie had gone frighteningly pale, and had tears in her eyes.

 

"All right, now it's your turn." Bucky instructed.

 

"I... Okay. Yes. My turn." She managed, feeling rather ill as she picked up a chicken and put it into the cone as he had showed her how. Bucky took a step back and watched her silently, giving her an encouraging nod.

 

After killing her first bird she had to lunge away and vomit, tears in her eyes as she placed one hand on the side of the barn to support her as her stomach heaved. Bucky hurried over to her, rubbing soothing circles on her back.

 

"It'll be all right, darlin'." He promised her. "You're doing fine. Worst part is almost over."

 

"This entire thing is the worst part!" She protested, looking up at him, tears beginning to fall. He fumbled for his handkerchief and used it to wipe away her tears.

 

"I know. Believe it or not, Steve, Becca and I all had the same reaction." He said soothingly. "It will get better with time and practice, I promise. But you need to do this. We need to eat, and killing our own food stock is more economical that buying stuff already butchered."

 

She nodded, stomach still churning.

 

"All right now. Let's get back to work. You're doing swell, darlin'." He praised, helping her to straighten up.

 

After the four birds were plucked, cleaned and hung up in the root cellar alongside the plate of giblets on a shelf, she vomited again. Once again, Bucky rubbed her back to soothe her. There wasn't much to come up other than bile, but that was more than enough.

 

"Let's go clean up now. I'll take the bucket over to the coop, give it to them for their breakfast."

 

Eevie looked at Bucky in horror. "You can't feed the chickens other chickens!"

 

"Do it all the time." He shrugged. "Waste not, want not."

 

Eevie looked like she would be ill again, and Bucky kissed her temple. "You did wonderful, darlin'. Go and wash up, then sit in your chair. I'll finish up out here, all right?"

 

"Thank you." She whispered, wanting to hug him, but also not wanting to touch him with her bloody hands. Bucky just gave her a tender smile, then moved to feed the chickens and finish with the cleanup.

 

Eevie scrubbed her hands until the skin felt raw before she finally went to sit in her chair, looking at her dilapidated sewing basket and the dress she was sewing. Most of the day’s work had been done already, at least until it was time to start dinner, so she could sit and use the time to work on her dress, but at the moment she did not feel like doing so. Her stomach was still angrily churning, so she got to her feet and fixed herself a glass of water mixed with bicarbonate, choking it down and hoping the remedy would help soothe her stomach. Feeling only slightly better, and knowing that she had to get some food back inside her, she got the pan down to fry an egg and heat up some toast to eat it on. Of course, looking at the eggs reminded her of that morning's activities, and she found herself blinking back tears.

 

Not for the first time, she wondered why Lydia's knowing had guided her to answer Becca's ad, why Lydia had said that Eevie would make a perfect farmer's wife. She felt like an abject failure at everything she did; getting attacked by a rooster, getting so mad at Bucky she started throwing things (that memory still filled her with shame), and now, not being able to stomach killing stock for the dinner table. There had to have been hundreds of women out there who would have been a better helpmeet for Bucky and Steve, though it pained her to even think of that. Two weeks, and she was fond of them to the point where it hurt to think about never having met them, never having known the pleasure of their company.

 

She was drying her eyes with a corner of her apron when Bucky came back in, carrying the big pot and the knife, both scrubbed clean and ready to be put away.

 

"Good." Bucky said, when he saw that she had pulled down the skillet, was preparing to cook something. "You need to eat something after all that."

 

"If I can keep it down." She whispered.

 

Bucky had put the knife away and the pot on the worktable, before turning and taking her into his arms, holding her tight, pressing another kiss to her temple. "I know it was hard." He said quietly, "But you did a wonderful job. It will get easier from here on out."

 

"I don't think that is something that will ever get easier for me, Bucky." She countered.

 

“Fair enough.” Bucky smiled, “You know, I don’t think keeping away from the fields for today will hurt any. If you don’t have any objections, I’ll eat with you, and then maybe we can curl up together for a bit.”

 

She managed a smile. “I’d like that.”

 

He grinned, then moved to kiss her again, before turning to get the eggs. “You go and sit, I’ll get this. Eggs and toast?”

 

“Yes, please. And preserves for the toast.”

 

“What do we have left?” Bucky looked over to the shelves, their contents diminished from what had been there last fall. It was almost harvest time, and though Eevie had been working on saving the produce from the garden, there still wasn’t the bounty there would be once summer was over and done with and fall well established.

 

“Um…” Eevie went to check, reading the neat labels that Becca had pasted onto the jars, “Green tomato preserves, crabapple jelly, tomato preserves,” She moved jars as she looked to see what was left, and what was already open, “Pumpkin preserves, and-oh! There’s a jar of plum preserves!” She had to stand on her toes to fetch that jar, as it had been on a higher shelf, in the very back. It was why she hadn’t stumbled across it before.

 

“Steve might be upset we didn’t wait for him to open the jar.” Bucky pointed out, and Eevie sighed, putting the jar back on a lower shelf.

 

“We’ll have some with breakfast tomorrow then. What about crabapple jelly instead?”

 

“Sounds fine to me, darlin’.” He smiled at her, before turning to the task of cooking.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The recipe is sourced from here: http://recipes.history.org under "chicken pudding". It is the "chicken pie" referred to in several of the Little House books, which is where I got the idea from it, to be honest.


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which dinner is awful.

Sunday came around once more, and this time dinner was at the little plastered sod house that Eevie shared with Steve and Bucky. The house had been scrubbed until it practically shone, everything neat as a pin, the dinner perhaps not as magnificent looking as Becca’s, but still lovely. The chicken pudding with the pale gravy made even more savory through experimental use of herbs, as well as bowls of fresh peas, creamed spinach, buttered carrots, and stewed pumpkin. On the breadboard was the rye’n’injun bread that Eevie had learned Steve favored over regular cornbread.

 

As Eevie looked over the spread a final time, she was nervous. The gravy was lumpy, the peas looked a bit dried out, the bread had sunk in the middle, the edges of the pudding were a dark brown instead of golden, and the spinach was rather runny, but the carrots and pumpkin looked… Well, not quite perfect, but they looked good. She truly wasn’t certain about the taste, but she hoped everything had come out all right. She had worked hard on the meal, and wanted everything to be perfect… But she would settle for edible.

 

“It looks good.” Bucky ventured as he looked at the spread on the table once she set the last bowl down, hearing the buggy coming up the road.

 

“I just hope it tastes good.” Eevie fretted. Bucky moved to wrap an arm around her, kissing her temple, and then her lips.

 

“It will be fine.” He assured her. “Everyone has to start somewhere.”

 

“But not everyone has to cook a Sunday supper for their in-laws while they’re just starting out.”

 

“That’s because you’re special, and I’m an idiot.” Bucky said rather cheerfully, releasing her.

 

“You’re not an idiot. Just… Mildly inconsiderate at times.”

 

“In other words, he’s an idiot.” Steve called, going to greet Becca and Isaac as the buggy stopped by the stable.

 

“You heard the man. An idiot.” Bucky grinned at Eevie, following after Steve.

 

“I was trying to be nice about it!” Eevie called after him with a grin, feeling slightly better about things thanks to the good-natured exchange.

 

When Becca entered, Eevie hurried forward, still smiling.

 

“Eevie, it’s been so long since I’ve seen you!” Becca joked, having spoken to Eevie after service earlier, “How are you doing?”

 

Eevie couldn’t help but laugh. “I’m doing well, and so are Steve and Bucky, as far as I know, but it’s been an age since I’ve seen them, they might be doing poorly and I would never know.”

 

The men in question—and Isaac—entered then and tried to smother chuckles at the exchange, but were unable to hide the smiles.

 

“It feels like it’s been an age since I was here last.” Becca looked around with a fond smile, “I miss it.”

 

“It misses you.” Bucky told his sister, “So do we, but Eevie is making up for the loss.”

 

“I’m trying, at least. It’s a little daunting, because you cared for everything so well.” Eevie confessed. “I know there are some things I can’t do as well as you, and Bucky and Steve are feeling the lack.”

 

“You’re doing fine.” Steve said firmly.

 

“I’m sure you’re doing just fine.” Becca echoed, “It’s hard at first, I remember that.”

 

“She’s doing great.” Bucky said as Eevie smiled gratefully at Becca, glad the other woman seemed to understand. “There have been some ups and downs, but she’s a fast learner. Good thing, too. I thought she was going to faint when I showed her how to butcher the chickens for tonight’s dinner,” Here, Eevie’s smile changed to a rictus, and she silently vowed that Bucky would be getting an earful later, “I didn’t know how I was going to catch her when she started swaying, because I was still holding the knife, but after she sicked up her breakfast she was just fine. Managed to take care of the other three chickens without a hitch.”

 

Bucky said the words proudly, but his smile faded when he realized Becca was giving him a disapproving look, and that Steve looked none too happy with him either. “What?”

 

“We’ll talk later.” Steve said, before forcing a smile, looking to Eevie, “Dinner ready, sweetheart? It looks good.”

 

“It’s ready.” Eevie agreed, motioning for everyone to take a seat, Becca taking the time to remove her hat and hang it on one of the pegs stuck into the wall by the door before she moved to take what was no doubt her usual spot at Bucky’s left hand, but she paused, seeing the bread board there, and realizing that it was Eevie’s place at the table now.

 

“Where should we sit?” Becca asked brightly, trying to cover up the mistake that habit had almost created.

 

“What about Isaac next to Steve, and you across from him, next to me?” Eevie asked. She had not set a place at the foot of the table, as there was plenty of room at the sides, the table being rather large. More than large enough for the five people who were currently taking up seats around it.

 

“That sounds perfect.” Becca smiled to Eevie, going to sit down.

 

Eevie took her seat and watched nervously as Bucky and Steve began preparing plates, passing them around. She cut the bread, noticing that it was far more dense than it should have been as she cut into the loaf and set the slices on plates.

 

She hoped that was the only thing wrong with the meal.

 

Her hopes were, of course, in vain.

 

As she took a bite of the carrots she almost winced, realizing just how undercooked they were. The chicken pudding was all right, at least, it would have been if Steve hadn’t covered the servings in the lumpy, too-salty gravy. The peas were awful, somehow she had made fresh peas dry and hard, and they were far too sweet from the sugar she had added. The pumpkin suffered from a similar ailment, the bread was truly far too dense, and the spinach… Well, despite the spinach being runny, it was perhaps the best thing on the table.

 

“I’m sorry.” Eevie set her fork down after sampling a bit of everything. “This is awful.”

 

“It’s not too bad.” Becca ventured, but Isaac gave his wife an aggrieved look. “We’ve had worse.” She quickly looked to Bucky, “Remember when Widow Bascomb cooked for us when our parents fell ill?”

 

Bucky made a disgusted face. “Please, don’t remind me. I still haven’t gotten the taste of her fried perch out of my mouth.”

 

“Blackened perch.” Steve shuddered, “I swear she fried it in castor oil.”

 

“It was truly awful. This is perfectly fine in comparison.” Becca assured her.

 

“I’ve tasted your cooking, Becca.” Eevie said with a small smile, “This is awful. I’m sorry.”

 

“How about we fry up some eggs and stacked pancakes, and have those instead? Breakfast for supper.” Becca suggested. “I’ll help, so the work will go by quickly.”

 

“I’m not certain what you mean by stacked pancakes, but that sounds perfect.” Eevie said as she stood.

 

“We can keep the spinach.” Bucky said, looking at the spread on the table, “For the rest, we’ll clear it up and take it to the hogs.”

 

“Thank you.” Eevie said, feeling absolutely miserable despite the smile on her face.

 

They got the food emptied into the scrap bucket, and Steve offered to wash up while Becca showed Eevie how to make stacked pancakes.

 

“They’re very simple, you start with a stack for each person, and while the next pancake in the stack is cooking, you slather the ones on the platter in butter and maple sugar.” Becca explained to Eevie as she moved around the kitchen, knowing where everything was. “I’m surprised. You’ve made hardly any changes here.”

 

“There’s a saying I grew up with. ‘If it’s not broke, don’t fix it.’” Eevie said quietly, getting the salt pork and the eggs to serve with the pancakes.

 

Becca laughed. “That’s true enough, but I didn’t expect to come here and have the house still look the way it did when I left.”

 

“I’m sure that I’ll wind up making changes as time goes on, but there hasn’t been a need to make any changes.”

 

“Well maybe not necessary changes, but isn’t there anything you just wanted to change? Like the color of the curtains?” Becca asked curiously.

 

“Everything is fine for now.” Eevie repeated. “Besides, I like the red. It’s cheery.” That and she didn’t want to bother either of her husbands for the funds for something as frivolous as new curtains when there was absolutely nothing wrong with the ones that were currently hanging on the walls.

 

“Well, I’m glad you like it. I liked the red; it was cheery and gave the rooms some warmth.” Becca said as she began to show Eevie how to mix the batter, Eevie watching carefully and making a mental note of everything. “I sort of wish that I could have taken them with me to hang in the house Isaac is building, but I couldn’t leave you without.”

 

“If Eevie doesn’t mind the work involved in making new ones, I don’t think either Bucky or myself would mind.” Steve ventured from where he was washing the dishes, not looking over at the two women.

 

Becca looked to Eevie eagerly, “Oh, would you? I’d help you to sew new ones, of course.”

 

“I can manage just fine.” Eevie assured her, “As long as Bucky doesn’t mind, I see no problem with your taking them for the new house. I’ll wash and iron them, and have them ready for you as soon as you move in.”

 

Becca hugged Eevie suddenly, nearly toppling the bowl she was mixing up the batter in. Eevie froze, surprised, but then she hugged Becca back. “You’re the best sister-in-law a girl could ask for.” It sounded suspiciously like Becca was near to crying, “You don’t know what it will mean, having a piece of home with me like that.”

 

“If I had known that they meant that much to you, I would have brought them to you the first Sunday we went to church.” Eevie said, a little surprised by the display of emotion, but pleased by it.

 

Becca released her, and quickly turned back to the bowl of batter. “That reminds me. I have a notebook in the buggy for you; it’s got a whole slew of recipes in it. Bucky mentioned how he missed some of the things I used to cook-”

 

“-He probably meant that he misses edible food.” Eevie sighed, “I’m trying, I truly am, but the recipes in Beeton’s book-”

 

“Oh no! Some of the recipes in that book are horrible! It’s a god book for some things, don’t get me wrong, but I think that some of those were written by someone who had never set foot in a kitchen and knew only vaguely what it was that their cook got up to when preparing meals. I’m even gladder Bucky said something now.”

 

“Bucky says you swore by that book.” Eevie said, startled, “That you read it to rags.”

 

“And so I did, before I knew better. Oh, you should have seen some of the messes I tried to pass off as meals when I started cooking. We ate eggs for most meals, until I got some recipes from some of the ladies at church. I included those recipes, by the way.”

 

“Thank you.” Eevie said, still annoyed that Bucky had said something to Becca about her cooking, but also relieved that he had.

 

“Once we get the house built, harvest time is going to start, and butchering time right after, once it’s cold enough to freeze. You’ve never even helped out during a harvest or a butchering, have you?” Becca asked as she poured five perfect pancakes onto the griddle, the stove still hot to heat the wash water.

 

“Never.” Eevie agreed.

 

“And I suspect you don’t even know how to render lard?”

 

Eevie’s shoulders sagged. There was so much more to working on a farm than she had ever anticipated. “No. I’m not even sure what that is.”

 

“Oh dear. Well, I have an idea. Why don’t you come and help us during butchering time, and I’ll show you everything, and then I’ll come and help you with the butchering here, and getting everything ready. You’re going to have a lot on your hands; when the farms were separate homesteads, Steve had to improve on his just as Bucky improved on his, which means you have almost double the livestock, now that they’ve combined households.”

 

“I didn’t realize.”

 

“And none of us should have thought you would. You didn’t grow up in the country. Neither did we, but we’ve been out here long enough to prove up the land. I swear, our first butchering season, I was as lost as a babe in the woods. So were Bucky and Steve. If it wasn’t for May and Ben Parker, we wouldn’t have had any idea what to do, no matter how many books the three of us had read.”

 

“Well, I’m glad for any advice or teaching you’d like to share.” Eevie said as Becca placed the first pancakes on a platter. Eevie quickly slathered them with butter and covered them in maple sugar, as instructed.

 

“We’ll get you sorted out in no time at all.” Becca promised firmly. “By harvest time next year, you’ll be an old hand at all this.”

 

Eevie laughed. “I can certainly hope so, but I doubt it will be that easy.”

 

“Oh, it won’t be, but plenty of help from your friends and family will make it easier.”

 

Eevie very much liked the sound of that.

 

~*~

 

The dinner they ate was a far simpler meal than Eevie had planned; with the pancakes, eggs, and bacon, as well as the creamed spinach and fresh slices of tomatoes with some of the grease poured over them. It might not have been as grand as the meal Becca had served, or Eevie had planned, but it was delicious, and filled the holes in their stomachs.

 

Before leaving, Becca had fetched a notebook from the buggy, and had given it to Eevie, who thanked her profusely for it. She watched, along with Bucky and Steve, as Becca and Isaac drove away. She took a deep breath, prepared to chastise Bucky about his earlier words, telling the story he had thought was so funny but she had been so embarrassed by, but Steve turned to their husband first.

 

“James Buchanan Barnes-Rogers,” Steve said firmly, “You owe our wife an apology.”

 

Bucky gaped at Steve, “What did I do now?” He asked, quickly looking to Eevie for verification, and seeing that she was not particularly pleased.

 

“Telling that story about how she got sick while butchering the chickens, how she had almost fainted.” Steve pointed out, “Even I felt embarrassed by it. Imagine how much worse it was for her.”

 

“It wasn’t very good of you.” Eevie agreed, “I could have happily lived without them knowing that I had a weak stomach for that. Since, as you pointed out, killing stock for our meals is a part of life on a farm.”

 

“Aw hell.” Bucky raked a hand through his short hair, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any harm by it.”

 

“I know you didn’t.” Eevie sighed, going to him and linking an arm through his. “Which is why I’m not yelling. Now come on inside. Becca already helped me with the washing up, and I know that tomorrow we’ve got to get to their place early to work on the house, but I’d like to spend a bit of time with the both of you while you’re not worn down to tatters.”

 

Bucky chuckled at that, looking pleased that she was initiating things. “That sounds like a fine idea, darlin’. Don’t you think, Steve?”

 

“Sounds too much like rewarding your bad behavior to me,” Steve countered, “But they do say that a happy wife means a happy life.”

 

Eevie grinned at him, “So that means you’re going to try to keep me happy?”

 

“When we can.” Steve agreed, “But it goes both ways.”

 

“Oh, of course. Besides, I rather like the sound of that. Happy spouse, happy house.” She said, holding out her notebook to Steve, which he took, before she caught his free hand in hers.  “Let’s all go inside.”

 

“With pleasure.” Steve smiled down at her, before placing a light kiss on her lips. She looked to Bucky, and he did the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This reminds me far too much of every holiday dinner my mother has ever cooked. Only there is less fire involved in Eevie's dinner. We grew up with turkey en flambe, and all the top cabinets scorched and blackened from various kitchen fires (how the hell you light cabinets on fire while making pop tarts I do not know, but that woman managed it). I would have preferred Eevie's cooking.
> 
> Eevie is like me in a lot of respects. I can cook very basic food, and it is edible. Throw me under the bus and have me cook a nice dinner of some kind? You are asking for your tastebuds and stomach to be brutally murdered.


	16. Chapter 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a house is finished and good news is announced.

The next week was an interesting one. The first day quite a few people turned out to help Isaac and Becca; a house raising was almost as good as a barn raising, though it took a bit longer. The women promptly decided that there were far too many cooks in the kitchen, and arranged it so that only half of them would come on a given day, which allowed the women to tend to their own housework instead of neglecting it and helping at Becca’s every day.

 

It took only two weeks for the little house to be built; and it was a little house. There was one large room for both kitchen and living area, the end of the rectangular house sectioned off and then halved by a wall, giving them two bedrooms. In addition, there was a ladder hammered into the wall that led up to an attic, which spanned the full length of the house.

 

The last day, Eevie made certain to be there with Becca, helping her to hang up the two red calico curtains in place of doors for the bedrooms, and the other curtains in the windows that Isaac had built into the house. She helped Becca, Bucky, Steve, and Isaac to transfer all the furniture and belongings from the little sod house into the little wooden house, neatly plastered inside and painted outside with a double coat of whitewash that made it a bright spot on the prairie.

 

In the late afternoon sunlight, after thanking and saying farewell to everyone who had helped with building the little house, Isaac wrapped an arm around Becca’s waist, looking at the house with pride in his eyes.

 

“Well, love, what do you think?” He asked her, “It isn’t much, but I figure a house like this is just as good as a castle.”

 

“It’s perfect.” Becca smiled up at him, “I think the baby will like it, too.”

 

There was stunned silence as everyone stared at Becca, and then Isaac started to grin. “You mean…?”

 

Becca nodded, her own grin about to split her face. Bucky let out a whoop as Isaac hauled Becca into his arms and held her close.

 

“Congratulations, Becca.” Eevie smiled, truly happy for her.

 

“Have you seen Missus Wilson?” Isaac asked, “When did she say we can expect him?”

 

“So certain it’s a boy?” Becca asked teasingly, almost tauntingly, “Missus Wilson checked me over a few days ago. She said we should start looking in cabbage patches for our little one at the end of April.”

 

“Late April, that’s a good time.” Isaac mused. Eevie looked over to Bucky to say something, but stopped as she took in the slight twitching of his fingers in a specific pattern. He was counting how many months were between the wedding and when the baby was due, she realized with more than some amusement. Luckily, Becca didn’t notice, too caught up in her husband and the good news she had just shared with them all.

 

But on the drive home, Eevie couldn’t help but tease Bucky about it as he sat beside her on the wagon seat.

 

“Making certain that Becca and Isaac didn’t put the cart before the horse?” She asked, tone light and playful.

 

Bucky looked at her out of the corner of his eyes, and she could see a flush climbing up his neck. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

 

“Don’t try and give me that.” Eevie laughed, “I saw you counting your fingers. Couldn’t have been anything else, with that particular series of motions, no matter how many times you try to deny it.”

 

“Then I’ll stop trying to deny it.” He drawled. “Nothing wrong with wanting to make sure they weren’t getting up to anything during those long buggy rides of theirs.”

 

“Would it have mattered if they had?” Eevie asked.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“They still got married to one another.” She pointed out, “It isn’t as if Isaac ruined her or left her at the altar.”

 

Bucky frowned, “I see what you’re getting at, but I don’t agree.”

 

Eevie sighed, giving him a look. “And if it had been you and Steve in that buggy?”

 

Bucky gave her a dry look, the two staring at each other, until she couldn’t help but giggle, “Alright, that’s a bad example. But I bet if you had a sweetheart of the feminine persuasion and went on buggy rides the way that they did, you would have gotten up to plenty.”

 

“No, I wouldn’t have.” Bucky said rather staunchly.

 

“Bucky,” She sighed.

 

“I know I wouldn’t have, because it would have had to be someone like you, someone I was crazy about, but if it was someone I was crazy about—like you—I wouldn’t want to push for more than she wanted to give, for more than was right to give. Oh, I’m not saying that there wouldn’t have been plenty of kissing and maybe some touching, but I could stop it before it got too far.” He grinned at her, “I may be insatiable, but even I know that there are some lines that shouldn’t be crossed.”

 

“And… Fornication before marriage is one of those lines?” She asked curiously.

 

“Nope.” He looked back at the horses, “But if it was someone I was crazy about, I’d have to stop myself. You see, after that, having nothing but stolen moments just wouldn’t be enough. And it would be… I don’t quite know how to explain it. Almost disrespectful, I guess, not wanting to wait for them, for pushing for what I want.” He looked to her again, “Almost every gal would say no, would want to wait, no matter how much they didn’t want to. Cause it’s expected of them.” He shook his head, looking back to the road, “It’s stupid. Men are supposed to sow their wild oats and get experience before marriage, but where the hell are we supposed to get that, if gals aren’t allowed to do the same?”

 

“It does seem a bit unfair.” Eevie ventured, “But that’s because there is a much higher risk for the women involved.”

 

“True.” Bucky sighed. “If it were you and me in that buggy, wouldn’t you have waited?”

 

“I want to say yes, I would have, but I know what your kisses make me feel. And what you can do with your hands.” She said, blushing even as she said the words.

 

Bucky laughed. “And what about those clever hands of yours, Missus Barnes-Rogers?”

 

“I only know what you and Steve have taught me.” She countered. There were a few chuckles between them, and then they lapsed into silence for a time. “Are you excited? About being an uncle?”

 

Bucky looked at her, giving her a smile, “Yes, but I’ll be even more excited when its our turn. Yours, mine, and Steve’s.”

 

Eevie smiled at that, then looked down at her hands, folded in her lap. “That might be a little while yet.” She warned. They hadn’t been as intimate since her monthly had ended, not because they hadn’t wanted to be, but because of the exhaustion that hard work brought in the evenings. All Steve and Bucky wanted to do was see to the stock, wash up, eat, and fall into bed for slumber instead of fun.

 

Bucky wrapped an arm around Eevie, “Hey,” He said to get her attention, make her look up at him. When he did, he gave her the kindest smile he possibly could, so full of warmth and tenderness, and even joy. “Don’t you worry on it none. It will happen when it happens. We’re in no rush. We have years and years ahead of us.”

 

She smiled back up at him, pleased by his words. “Years and years.” She agreed, before scooting a little closer to him on the wagon seat and resting her head on his shoulder, while he kept an arm looped around her waist to hold her as he drove with one hand.

 

~*~

 

The following morning, Eevie’s brow was furrowed in concentration as she worked at rolling out a pie crust on the work table, keeping Becca’s instructions firmly in mind and silently repeating them over and over. _Don’t handle the pie crust too much, or it will come out dense. Be careful when rolling it out, you want to get it as even as possible…_

 

The precious notebook that Becca had given Eevie was propped up against a bowl, open to a page that had a recipe for a simple chess pie. She glanced to the open notebook frequently, though she was only rolling out the crust and didn’t need to reference the recipe—which seemed very simple, and therefore a good first step—just yet.

 

She heard the wagon coming up the road, and sighed. “Shoot.” She muttered under her breath. She had wanted to have the pie in the oven before Bucky returned from town. They had needed a few supplies, including the fabric for new curtains. Eevie felt oddly exposed without curtains hanging in the windows, a feeling she did not like. She hadn’t wanted to go into town herself, had wanted to try to get a pie ready as a surprise for her two men instead. She hoped that Bucky had listened to her and had selected a good red or blue gingham that would wear well.

 

Bucky came into the house, a wooden crate in his arms. He carried it to set it on the floor near to the work table she was at, before moving to peer closely at what she was doing. “Making us a pie?” He sounded pleased by the prospect.

 

“I’m trying. I don’t know how good it will be.” She warned.

 

“It’ll be fine.” Bucky assured her, kissing her shoulder, and then her neck, making her duck away.

 

“Shoo, now! You’ve got to get in the rest of the supplies, and let me get back to this pie!” She laughed.

 

“I’ll finish bringing everything in in just a minute. First I wanted to show you this.” Bucky pulled a folded parcel of cloth from the crate, and Eevie’s smile became fixed as he revealed it to her.

 

It was pretty, she supposed, and she certainly would have found it pretty had it been any color other than yellow. At least this was a more golden yellow than her much loathed dress was, with a pattern of white flowers and vines covering it to make the yellow seem brighter and give it an almost buttery look.

 

“Well?” Bucky asked as Steve came in with a sack over one shoulder, “I know you said gingham, but I thought this might look better.”

 

“It’s… Certainly something.” Eevie managed to say, still forcing herself to smile. Steve looked at her sharply, but she quickly turned back to her pie crust. “I think that it will look very nice, once I’ve made up the curtains.”

 

Bucky’s grin widened, and he put the fabric carefully back in the crate. “Whenever I look at them, I’ll think of you and that pretty sunflower colored dress of yours, and how you looked waiting for us when you first arrived.” Bucky told her, which made her heart melt a bit, and made her feel more charitable towards the color yellow. She hadn’t realized how he had felt about it, or that it would make him think of her. And it pleased her, to think that he associated a color with her. And if he liked yellow, well, she could try to be all yellow sunshine for him, and try to learn to do more than just tolerate the hue.

 

“And,” Bucky reached into his pocket, “I have something else for you.”

 

She looked to him once more, still smiling, but it was a questioning smile now. “I don’t need anything else, Bucky.”

 

“No, but you probably want something else. Like these letters from Vermont.” He said, pulling the creased envelopes from his pocket. Her eyes widened and she turned towards him quickly, reaching for the letters eagerly, only to realize her hands were covered in flour. She frowned down at her hands, moving to wipe them on her apron, but Bucky laughed and motioned for her to stop.

 

“I’ll set them on the end table under Steve’s book, so they don’t get lost.” He said, “Now don’t start reading them until after the pie is out of the oven.” He teased.

 

“I promise, I will do my very best not to burn your pie.” Eevie promised him, rising to her tiptoes and leaning to press a kiss against his cheek. “Just set them under the book and as soon as this pie is done, I’ll neglect the rest of my work dreadfully so that I can read my letters.”

 

“I hope I can get one of those.” Steve said from the pantry area, where he had set down the heavy sack he had brought in.

 

“The pie, or a kiss?” Eevie asked him cheekily, “One you have to share, the other I’ll give you happily.”

 

He went to her side and reached to brush back a lock of hair that had escaped the bun she had pinned her hair in that morning. Her hair never seemed to want to stay confined, always trying to escape the pins. Steve found it rather endearing, and enjoyed reaching to tuck strands back behind her ears. Once that was done, he bowed his head and captured her lips in a tender kiss that had the potential to be so much more, but she drew back before he could deepen it further, though her eyes were dark with desire.

 

“I can’t promise the pie for dinner, but it will be ready for supper, at the latest.” She said, before quickly looking back to the dough she had rolled out. “I hope.”

 

“We won’t mind if we have it with supper instead of dinner.” Steve said, before placing a kiss atop her head, “And I have a good feeling about this one. I think it’s going to be your best pie yet.”

 

She gave him a grateful look, before returning to her baking.

 

Dinner was over and done with, the tantalizing smelling and perfectly browned pie sitting on the worktable to cool, and the kitchen scrubbed clean before Eevie had a chance to sit down and read her letters, eagerly scooping up the three missives from where Bucky had tucked them beneath the book Steve had been reading.

 

She placed the letters in the order in which she wanted to read them, Missus Callum’s first, and Lydia’s last. Then she opened them carefully, beginning to read.

 

Missus Callum’s letter was pleasant enough at first; she thanked Eevie for recalling her promise to write and let her know that all was well, and offered congratulations on Eevie’s marriage. Then she began to expound upon what she expected of Eevie, and what she believed was necessary for Eevie to keep her husband happy and her home in good order, reminding Eevie that she was not to neglect her religious teachings. By the time Eevie finished the letter, she felt as if she had been lectured half to death. Missus Murphy’s letter was only a little better, and Eevie was glad that she had kept the fact that she had two husbands instead of one from the two women. They both had admonished her to keep well distant from her husband’s friend, so that there was no hint of impropriety and no stain upon her name.

 

 _If only they knew…_ Eevie thought with a rueful smile as she opened the letter from Lydia.

 

_My Dearest Eevie,_

_I am gobsmacked. Completely and utterly gobsmacked. Of course I’ll keep your secret from Missus Callum and Missus Murphy! I’m not entirely certain what they would do if they found out you had married not one man but two, but I have a feeling it would involve having you tied up and brought back here and then locked in the basement while Reverend Callum performed an exorcism and had your husbands arrested by a U.S. Marshal._

_Husbands. It is so strange to write that! Likely not as strange as it is for you to live it. I wonder if that is why my knowing told me you needed to answer that particular advertisement, because you were the only person who would be mad enough to take on two husbands at once. I regret the rest of it. Sometimes I hate it when I have a knowing, because it puts people through distressing situations. I can’t imagine how awful it was to find out that Bucky’s sister had placed the advertisement, or how difficult your conversation with him and Steve was when they proposed marrying the both of them. I’m just glad that it all seems to have worked out for you._

_Now, I will tell you about the goings on here, and in your next letter you simply must tell me everything about your husbands and your new home!_

 

The letter continued on, sharing amusing anecdotes with Eevie about what some of the other orphans had gotten up to, how strange life was at the orphanage without Eevie there in the bed next to Lydia’s. When she finished the letter, Eevie read it a second time, before looking towards the little carriage clock on the shelf. She had time to start in on her replies before she needed to start cooking supper, she decided. She got up and gathered up her supplies, before sitting down at the table to compose her letters.


	17. Chapter 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which someone gets jealous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains smut with our leading trio.

Harvest proper started the following day, with Steve and Bucky working hard to put up enough hay to see the stock through the winter, until there were what seemed like an entire town of haystacks near to the house and barn. Then they went to work on the oats and wheat crops, while Eevie did her best to pick all the remaining produce from the garden, following Becca’s recipes exactly, and with great care, so as not to ruin a single jar of the food she put up. She made pickles and preserves of all sorts, filling up the shelves inside the house and inside the root cellar, which was filled almost to bursting with the harvest of potatoes, carrots, turnips, and more.

 

Then the threshers came, and Eevie had even more work to do, feeding them all, but they managed to get all the grains properly threshed and into sacks, which were carefully stored away for the coming year.

 

Finally, all the crops were in, and the sod house and the root cellar were filled almost to bursting. Eevie wasn’t certain how they would fit even a kernel of corn more into the root cellar, but there was still the butchering to be done, once the weather was cold enough.

 

The day that Bucky and Steve had finished getting everything squared safely away Eevie spent pressing cider and putting up jars and jars of apple butter; the trees that Bucky had planted six years before were finally bearing fruit. A great deal of fruit. Bucky and Steve had taken a wagonload of apples to Becca and Isaac to share the bounty earlier in the week, and had also sold some fruit to others in the area, and still had a surplus.

 

After a long day of working the cider press and canning, Eevie only barely managed to get supper on the table, feeling utterly exhausted, though she had smiled when Bucky and Steve had told her that harvest was all over and done with and that all that remained was taking the cash crops to town to sell.

 

As she was washing dishes, Steve came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist and ghosting his lips down her neck.

 

“Steve,” She said tiredly, warningly, wanting to stave him off. Almost all intimacy between the three of them had come to a halt due to the demands of the harvest season, and while she enjoyed the closeness, she didn’t want to encourage him and wind up starting something she was too tired to finish.

 

“I’ll let you get back to doing the dishes.” He said with a resigned sigh.

 

“Thank you.” She said, turning her attention back to the dishes as Steve released her and walked slowly to his chair.

 

Once the dishes were done, Eevie went to her rocking chair, looking at her battered sewing basket with dismay. She really needed to finish the curtains, but she was so very tired…

 

“Want to make an early night of it?” Steve asked softly, an invitation in his voice. An invitation that she missed completely as she looked to him.

 

“Would you two mind terribly if I did?”

 

Steve’s brows drew together in confusion, before his expression became one of mild annoyance at being misunderstood. “I figured we would go together.”

 

Realization dawned, and Eevie felt like a fool. With how he had come up to her while she was doing the dishes, she should have realized that he had more than sleep in mind. “Not tonight, Steve. Please.”

 

Steve’s annoyance became a little more pronounced. “Why not tonight?” He sounded almost petulant, as if he was a child who had been denied a treat.

 

“We have been working flat out for weeks to get the harvest in. I have been canning for days upon days and I am _tired._ ” She frowned at him, “I just want to sleep.”

 

Steve’s look darkened. “Would you be saying the same if it was Bucky asking?”

 

Eevie was confused by the question, and Bucky looked up from the newspaper he was reading, equally confused. “What are you talking about?” Eevie asked finally, just as realization dawned. She tried not to gape at him, “Steven, are you jealous?”

 

Steve scowled at that. “A bit.” He agreed, “You spend more of your time with Bucky than you do with me.”

 

“That’s ridic…” She trailed off as she realized that he was right. She was intimate with Bucky more often than she was with Steve.

 

“Steve, you know she isn’t playing favorites.” Bucky said with a frown of his own.

 

“No,” Eevie told Bucky, “He’s right. I have paid you more attention that I’ve paid him. Than either of us have.” She looked to Steve, reaching out for his hand, “It wasn’t a conscious choice, I promise. Bucky just… Comes up and starts things more often than you do.” She tried to explain.

 

“Then why don’t you ever try to start anything with me?” Steve asked shortly. “Either of you?”

 

“I figured you were just as worn out as I was.” Bucky protested, looking confused by Steve’s words, trying to remember when he had last instigated anything with Steve, and realizing that Steve was right; Bucky had been spending more time seducing Eevie than Steve himself. He had been so caught up in making her feel welcome, wanted, and as if she had belonged, that he had been neglecting the man he loved.

 

“And, well,” Eevie had blushed a bit, “Starting things isn’t something a proper woman should do, I thought.”

 

“We don’t care about proper when we’re in the privacy of our own home.” Steve pointed out rather sharply, “Neither Bucky or I would mind if you tried to start things every so often. As a matter of fact, I would like it if you did. A man needs to know he’s wanted just as much as a woman does, and I wish you would show me you want me instead of waiting on me.”

 

“I’m sorry.” She gave his hand a squeeze, “I didn’t realize I was neglecting you, Steve, and I’m so sorry.”

 

“So am I. I didn’t realize either, and I should have.” He looked to Eevie, “You say you’re tired, so I know you aren’t up for much, but think you’re up for kissing and cuddling our husband?”

 

Eevie smiled at Bucky, then looked to Steve, tenderness in her gaze. “Yes.”

 

“Good. Then we’re all going to go to bed, and tonight, Steve sleeps between you and me, darlin’.”

 

“Bucky, I don’t-” Steve started to protest, but Bucky just shot him a look that told him to be quiet.

 

“You’re sleeping between us tonight.” He repeated firmly, setting his newspaper down and standing. Eevie stood as well, though she did not release Steve’s hand; she waited for him to stand, and once he had, she moved to embrace him tightly. It only took him a moment to respond by wrapping his arms around her and holding her tight.

 

They remained like that for a time, holding one another, until Eevie began to reluctantly pull away from him. “Come to bed with us.” Eevie softly invited.

 

“Gladly.” Steve said with a small smile, taking her hand once again and walking to the bedroom with her, where they found Bucky already with his boots and shirt off. He looked over them and grinned.

 

“Thought I’d give you two a minute.”

 

“Thank you for your consideration.” Eevie said, releasing Steve’s hand and moving to sit so she could unbutton her shoes, while Steve used the bootjack to get his boots off, the three moving around the room and undressing in a pattern that had started to become routine. Only, Eevie didn’t want routine, not tonight, not when Steve had confessed his feelings of jealousy and neglect. So, once her shoes and stockings were off, she stood and went to Steve, who was just beginning to unbutton his shirt. She stepped close to him and caught him by his wrist, pulling his hands away from the buttons, before releasing him and undoing them herself, pulling the placket of his shirt open once she had gotten all the buttons undone and placing a kiss over his heart impulsively before looking up at him. He smiled down at her and caressed her cheek, and she smiled in response, helping him to unbutton his cuffs and get the shirt up over his head. Bucky moved so that he was behind Steve, reaching around to unbutton the front of his pants as he pressed kisses against Steve’s shoulders and the back of his neck, tongue skating along the heated flesh teasingly, making Steve moan softly, his eyes fluttering closed at the simple pleasure.

 

“Let’s get you to bed, Stevie.” Bucky murmured then. Eevie caught up Steve’s hand and raised it to her lips, pressing a kiss to the inside of his wrist, before guiding him to the bed, once he had stepped out of the trousers that had pooled on the floor around his ankles.

 

“I should take care of the two of you.” Steve protested, but Eevie shook her head ‘no’.

 

“We’ll take care of ourselves.” She told him gently but firmly. Her helping Bucky or Bucky helping her was absolutely out of the question; this night between them was to ease Steve’s feelings of jealousy, not fuel them.

 

“Tonight is all about taking care of you. Don’t you worry about us.” Bucky agreed, unbuttoning his own trousers and letting them fall to the floor, kicking them aside. Then he prowled towards Steve and the bed, pushing the muscular blond down onto it. Steve went with a grunt of surprise, before he moved to get into the bed properly, so that he was lying in the center of it and not sideways with his legs dangling over the edge. Bucky moved to curl up beside Steve on his usual side of the bed, caressing a hand down Steve’s chest and then rubbing in slow circles over his abdomen, each circle moving lower by the merest fraction of an inch.

 

“Doesn’t feel right, only taking, not giving.” Steve said, voice husky with desire, already responding to Bucky’s touches.

 

“You give enough.” Eevie said as she left her clothes strewn about the floor, before climbing into bed on Steve’s other side, “It’s past time for you to take a little.”

 

“I don’t think it works like that-” Steve started, but she leaned over him and gave him a slow and tender kiss, while Bucky moved to feather kisses along Steve’s collar bone. Then the time for talking was done, Bucky moving so he was between Steve’s legs and trailing his kisses slowly down his lover’s body. Eevie kept on kissing Steve, kissing him as if their lives depended on it, deep and demanding. Steve reached and ran one hand up Bucky’s shoulder, around to the back of his neck, His other hand slipped beneath Eevie, pulling her closer before he began rubbing her back in a simple motion, up her spine and then down it.

 

Steve moaned into Eevie’s mouth as Bucky pressed kisses low over his abdominals, traced his tongue over the lines of Steve’s Adonis belt, Steve bucking his hips up instinctively at that. Eevie giggled against his lips, placing her hand on Steve’s chest, just over his heart, pressing down lightly, as if to hold him in place. She didn’t have a hope of holding him down if he truly wanted to get up, but Steve found that he enjoyed the pressure, the feel of control being taken completely from his hands. The feeling that he had to submit to these two people that he loved more than anything in the world.

 

The thought startled him, made his eyes fly open in surprise, but as Bucky’s hand wrapped around his cock and Steve let out a hiss of pleasure at the sensation, Steve realized it was true. Of course he loved Bucky, always had, always would, but his feelings for Eevie had grown from tentative fondness and heated desire to burgeoning love and a need that was a near constant ache, just as it was for him with Bucky.

 

Steve was prevented from further reflection on the matter when Bucky bowed his head and ran the flat of his tongue over the head of Steve’s cock, making him twitch in Bucky’s hand and moan out his pleasure. Steve was aware that Eevie was no longer kissing him, and his lips ached for hers, but when he opened his eyes again he saw that she was watching Bucky rather intently.

 

“Sweetheart?” He asked, getting her attention, and she looked at him with her large eyes, the same green as a piece of sea glass he had found once, flecked with little sparks of golden sunshine. She smiled at him, before biting her lower lip, looking back down to Bucky a moment, who had paused and was looking up at her, before looking back to Steve.

 

“Teach me?” She asked, and Steve felt as if he had been punched in the gut and all the air had left his body. To feel those soft, rosebud lips wrapped around his cock? He hadn’t known just how badly he had wanted that until that moment.

 

“I thought you were tired.” He said hoarsely, giving her an out in case she had any second thoughts.

 

“I changed my mind. Women do that frequently, so I’ve heard.” She replied dryly, the tone alone causing him to release a startled laugh. She grinned at the sound, “Honestly, I realized that you’re worth being exhausted for.” She told him with a smile.

 

“Then I have no arguments.” He gave her a little squeeze. “You’re sure?”

 

She flushed. “Mostly sure. I just don’t want to…” She made a vague motion with her hand, cheeks scarlet.

 

Steve understood, and drew her in for a kiss, pleased that she wanted to at least try this, and was clear (relatively) about her limitations. Someday he might get to spill into her mouth, but there were other options that were just as pleasant. “I’ll stop you before it gets that far.” He promised her, earning a smile from her.

 

“Then I’ll take over.” Bucky volunteered.

 

“I have no objections to any of this.” Steve said, releasing Eevie, who scooted down the bed a bit, peppering Steve’s body with light kisses as she moved, just as Bucky had; just as the two men did to her.

 

“Just like that, darlin’.” Bucky murmured, running a hand down her back, shifting so that he was no longer between Steve’s legs, but lying beside him. Eevie took his place between Steve’s legs, hesitating a moment.

 

“Just grip him like normal, give him a stroke or two.” Bucky suggested, “Start slow. Run your thumb over the head of it and then try giving it a lick.”

 

Eevie bit her lower lip and nodded as she trailed her fingers lightly up the length of Steve’s cock before settling down to the business of gripping it firmly as she knew he liked, giving it a slow stroke and then moving her hand to place an impish kiss on the underside, which made Steve let out a soft grunt, which was followed by a near tortured moan as she did what Bucky had and laved her tongue over the head of Steve’s cock.

 

“Just like that.” Bucky praised, “Keep gripping and stroking the base when you take the rest in.” He said, earning a murmur of agreement from Eevie who moved to wrap her lips around the head of Steve’s cock, sucking on it lightly and making the blond arch upwards a bit, breathing out praise. Bucky grinned, watching Eevie. “You’re a natural.” He praised, before he began licking his way up Steve’s body, occasionally scraping his teeth over the soft skin drawn taut over hard muscle, attention that, when combined with Eevie’s slow explorations of the wonders of Steve’s cock, left Steve a panting mess.

 

Bucky sucked on Steve’s throat, not caring that he was leaving marks as Steve tried to choke out guidance to Eevie, who had managed to pull her lips back over her teeth in a way that made it feel as if she didn’t have any. She had taken a little over half of Steve’s cock into her mouth before starting to choke and drawing back, but once she knew that limitation, she was quite enthusiastic in her ministrations. Steve reached down with one hand for her hair, which she had released from its pins before climbing into bed. He wrapped the silken ruddy brown strands around his hand, gripping her, but not forcing her to take in more of him or to increase her pace; he simply held onto her, needing the contact. Bucky kissed him then, long and filthy, all slick tongue and soft, demanding lips. And while Bucky kissed him, Eevie experimented with Steve’s cock, starting sloppy and awkward, but it felt so very good to him, the pleasure curling up his spine and through his body, running through his veins and taking away his breath while making him feel almost dizzy from it.

 

Then Eevie did something greatly daring, taking Steve in deeper than she had before, so deep that Steve could feel the muscles of her throat working around the head of his cock and he couldn’t help but shout into Bucky’s mouth, barely able to remember his promise and pull on Eevie’s hair to force her back. Steve turned his head, gasping for breath as if he had just run the distance from town to the farm. “Close,” He panted, “Too close.”

 

“Keep touching him, Eevie.” Bucky ordered huskily, reaching down and cupping Steve’s balls in his hand, palming them before he ran a finger lightly down the seam of flesh, tracing it so lightly down, around, and behind while Eevie continued to stroke Steve’s cock, ripping a moan from Steve. “You like that, Stevie?” Bucky purred in Steve’s ear, before licking along the sensitive edge, “You ready for me to wrap my lips around you?”

 

“No.” The hoarse word took Bucky by surprise, but only for a moment. He chuckled, then nipped at Steve’s ear.

 

“No? Then what is it you want, Steve? Come on and tell us.”

 

“I want to be in Eevie, while you’re in me.” Steve said, still holding on to Eevie’s hair, gently tugging it to coax her up from between his legs.

 

Bucky chuckled, “Well, we’d best give the man what he wants.” He told Eevie, who was moving up Steve’s body willingly.

 

“We’d best.” Eevie agreed, before kissing Steve tenderly, but he deepened the kiss, tongue slicking against hers as he used his grip on her hair to hold her close. He slipped his other arm from around Bucky and reached down between Eevie’s legs as he rolled them over in a single fluid movement so that Eevie was on her back beneath him, his fingers seeking between her folds to see if she was ready for him, surprised to find that she was slick with desire.

 

“Looks like you enjoyed using your mouth on me.” He murmured, please, causing Eevie to flush with embarrassment.

 

“I…” She hesitated a moment, before raising her chin slightly, looking at him almost defiantly. “I did. Made me think of every time you did that for me, and well…”

 

Steve kissed her again, feeling Bucky move away, hearing the sound of the drawer beside the bed opening as Bucky fetched out the jar of oil kept there just for this purpose. Steve untangled his hand from Eevie’s hair, wrapping it behind her shoulders so he was bearing his weight on his forearm and was gripping her shoulder tightly. Then he reached between them and took himself in hand, rubbing the head of his cock against her slick folds, teasing the both of them as Buck rubbed oil-slicked fingers against Steve’s puckered ring. As Bucky’s fingers teased entrance into Steve, Steve moved his hand and snapped his hips forward, filling Eevie in a single fluid motion. When Bucky’s fingers pressed against the spongy spot inside Steve, Steve let out a sound that was half snarl, half moan. He bowed his head, pressing it against Eevie’s shoulder.

 

“Not gunna last.” He ground out.

 

“You don’t need to last.” She murmured, reaching up and carding her fingers through his hair, dragging her nails along his scalp in a way that always made his skin break out in gooseflesh.

 

“Need to for you.” He protested. Eevie moved her hands so she cupped his face in them, forcing him to look at her. She pressed her forehead against his, green gaze meeting blue.

 

“No.” She told him gently. “This is for you. As long as you’re happy, I’m happy.”

 

“Listen to the lady, Steven.” Bucky said, a command in the words as he massaged that spongy spot, the sensation causing Steve’s cock to twitch inside Eevie. The words that came out of Steve’s mouth were garbled, sounding something like he was promising he would try, but he was nearly beyond the point of speech. He was not so far gone that he could not move his hand between Eevie and himself, which he did, using his thumb to rub at her sweet spot, earning an impassioned cry from Eevie as she brought her knees up, squeezing his hips between her thighs. Bucky took that opportunity to withdraw his fingers, replacing them with his cock, Steve grunting at the slight burn from the stretch of penetration, but not minding it in the slightest.

 

Bucky was the one who set the pace, Steve moving with him, Eevie wrapping her arms around Steve and simply holding on, rolling her hips up against Steve’s to meet his thrusts. Bucky angled his hips each time he sank back into Steve so that he could hit that spot that made Steve feel so much pleasure with every thrust, while Steve tried to do similarly for Eevie, but could barely manage to do so, barely even managing frantic thrusting, feeling as if he might die if he did not find his release soon. Everything inside him was coiled tightly, muscles trembling from the strain as he both tried to hold back and embrace the pleasure at the same time.

 

Steve cried out Bucky’s name, the syllables a desperate plea that caused Eevie to murmur soft assurances in Steve’s ear and Bucky to pant out praise. Bucky did not feel the need to show the same restraint that Steve was, and soon enough he was shouting out as he came, cock pulsing inside Steve, setting Steve off, as hard as Steve tried to hold back for Eevie. But then she was crying out so sweetly, her cunt clenching down around Steve’s cock as he filled her.

 

The only sound in the room was the sound of their labored breathing as each of them tried to come back to themselves. Steve moved to rest his head on Eevie’s shoulder, and she wrapped one arm around him while reaching up with the other to run her fingers through his hair, a repetitive motion that soothed, help to bring him down as well as helped her steady herself. Bucky withdrew from Steve with a reluctant moan, moving to settle down beside him and Eevie, draping an arm over Steve and holding him close. Just as reluctantly, Steve began to move off of Eevie, intending on settling into his normal place on the side of the bed, but Bucky had other ideas, tightening his arm around Steve and pulling him closer while Eevie scooted away a bit, so that Steve was forced between them.

 

Not that he minded.

 

“I think,” Steve finally murmured as Eevie curled against his chest and Bucky spooned him from behind, nuzzling Steve’s neck, “That was worth the frustration.”

 

“Mm.” Eevie hummed in agreement, “But from now on, if any of us start feeling that way, we say something early on. Not let it build up.” Steve could hear the smile that curled on her lips in her voice as she said her next words, “Though that was almost worth the buildup.”

 

Bucky laughed softly, and Steve chuckled. “Almost.” Bucky agreed. “I love you, Stevie. Now get some rest, both of you.”

 

“Love you, Buck.” Steve murmured, before starting to open his mouth to repeat the words to Eevie, but they caught in his throat. Was it too soon to say? Would it hurt Bucky to hear it? He wasn’t certain, he needed to think the matter through, so instead of those words, he murmured others. “And I like you, sweetheart.”

 

“I like you too. Both of you.” Eevie replied, and Steve was relieved but also disappointed to hear how content her tone was.

 

Maybe he’d talk to Bucky about it later, see what the other man thought. But that was for later. For now, he was that special sort of tired that only came after a day of hard work or a session of good lovemaking. He closed his eyes, content to wait until later to continue worrying over the matter that plagued him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyone who is or has been in a poly relationship and claims to never have felt a drop of jealousy is a lying liar who lies (or a way way way better person than anyone I know online or irl). We've been taught the jealousy is a Bad Thing for relationships, and it can be, but it is also a natural emotion. In relationships like our trio's, jealousy is going to happen. It's how you react to the emotions that are the key. Talk to one another. Oh my Gods, talk to one another. And respect that emotions happen. We can't control them. But we can control how we react to them.
> 
> Didn't mean to turn this into a TED talk. Sorry. Probably shouldn't post while tipsy and exhausted.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the words are said.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Chapter contains m/f/m smut

Steve was still mulling things over the following day, contemplating his feelings for Eevie, and how his feelings towards Bucky had not changed exactly, but were somehow strengthened by his love of Eevie. They were three parts forming a stronger whole; the three strands that formed a cord, as Reverend Coulson had said.

 

He needed to talk to Bucky. But not in front of Eevie, who was sitting in her rocker, working on the new curtains for the house. She was taking her time with the curtains, and Steve had his suspicions as to why, but he didn’t want to voice those to her either.

 

“Buck, come with me and look at Maybelle.” Steve finally ventured, “I thought I saw her favoring one foot earlier, want your opinion on it.”

 

“Sure thing.” Bucky said as he set aside his carving and stood, while Steve set aside his newspaper. Eevie looked up and watched the two men go, worry in her eyes, but they would know more about the animals than she did, so she remained silent and turned her attention back to her sewing.

 

Once the two men had bundled up in their jackets and worn mufflers, they left the house, Steve pulling the door firmly shut behind them. It was cold and they needed to keep the heat inside the house; and he also did not want to change Eevie overhearing this conversation. Bucky started to head towards where the horses were picketed to get the last of the grass, but Steve caught him by his upper arm, shook his head, and then nodded in the direction of the barn. Bucky’s brows shot up in surprise, but he nodded, changing course for the barn.

 

Once they were inside and the door was secured, Bucky leaned against the wall by the door, looking to his husband, “I take it that Maybelle is fine, and you wanted to talk without Eevie overhearing.”

 

Steve gave a terse nod. “I… I want to talk about Eevie, and us. And how I feel for the both of you.”

 

Bucky smiled slightly, “You’re falling in love with her too?”

 

“Fallen.” Steve sighed. “I realized it last night. “I don’t love you any less because of it, and I need you to know that. In fact, I think the loving her helps me to love you even more. Not that I love you less than her, it’s just…”

 

“It’s just different.” Bucky agreed, straightening and taking the two steps needed to close the distance between them, “I know what you’re saying Steve, know what you’re feeling, because I’ve got the same things running through my heart and my head. Not long ago you said that caring for her was easy, so falling in love with her wouldn’t be difficult, and you hit the nail on the head with that one. I didn’t expect it to come so soon, or hit so hard, but it did.”

 

“It did.” Steve agreed, “I don’t know how to tell her. I don’t want it to be an every day thing, ‘please pass the salt, and by the way, I love you,’ just doesn’t feel right. But I don’t want to make some grand gesture. I don’t think she’d appreciate something like that, and something like that… It’s not who I am.”

 

“No, it is not.” Bucky agreed, “We should tell her together. Not just yet, though.”

 

“I don’t want to keep it from her. Feels too much like a secret.”

 

“After we’ve taken the harvest to town.” Bucky decided, “When we tell her we’re going to build her a proper house.”

 

“That’s a grand gesture.”  Steve pointed out.

 

Bucky grimaced, “I guess it is, but it would be a good time. It’s the time when we can take the time to spend the day with her afterward. To tell the truth, I’m looking forward to some lazy winter mornings and crawling back into bed with the two of you once the chores are done.”

 

“You know as well as I do that there’s enough to keep us busy that there won’t be many lazy mornings.” Steve chuckled.

 

“I know, I know.”

 

“I think that would be a good time to tell her.” Steve mused, going back to the reason for the conversation. “Maybe at supper the night we finish take the harvest in. We can plan to make a lazy morning of it the next day, let her stay in bed while we take care of the stock.” Steve mused.

 

“I like that plan. So, the night we come back from taking the harvest in, then.” He looked to Steve, giving him a slow smile, “Now, since we’re supposed to be taking our time to look over a sick horse, we have to be out here for a while. And I have a few ideas on how to spend that time.”

 

Steve gave Bucky a slow smile, “I think I like where this is heading.”

 

They spent nearly an hour out in the barn, and when they came in, obviously rumpled, Eevie looked up and smirked, before looking back to her sewing. “I take it that Maybelle is fine, then.”

 

“Right as rain.” Bucky told her cheerfully. “You about ready to head to bed, darlin’?”

 

Eevie laughed, looking up from her sewing again, “Insatiable. Absolutely insatiable.”

 

“Well, I tried to sate him, but I think I only managed to whet his appetite.” Steve’s words were apologetic, but the tone was not.

 

“Then we have no choice, we’re going to have to work together to try and satisfy him. I know it will be a hardship on both our parts, but we must make the sacrifice.” Eevie tried to keep a straight face as she said the words, setting aside her sewing, but was unable to keep the smile from her lips. Bucky laughed out loud at her words while Steve couldn’t help but guffaw.

 

“I think that we might be able to keep him content for a little while, if we work together.” Steve agreed, holding out a hand to help Eevie up. She took it and stood, giving his hand a squeeze, before reaching for Bucky with her other hand.

 

“We’ll just have to try our hardest.” She said as she led her husbands to the bedroom.

 

“I think between the two of you, you might be able to keep me satisfied enough until tomorrow morning.” Bucky teased, earning laughter from both Eevie and Steve.

 

“You are never satisfied, Mister Barnes-Rogers, but we’ll do our best.” Eevie said.

 

“That a promise or a threat?” Bucky asked with more than a bit of a leer.

 

“Both.” Steve answered for Eevie, grinning, “Definitely both.”

 

~*~

 

 

The next week the weather stayed cold enough for butchering to commence, and while Bucky loaded up the wagon to take the cash crops to Cobb City, Eevie went to Becca’s, where she learned all about getting every ounce of use from the pigs and steer that Isaac butchered with Steve’s help. By the time they were ready to do the butchering at their farm, Bucky had returned, looking like he was bursting with a secret of some sort, but he kept his peace until the day Becca declared everything to be officially over and done with. When she did that, Bucky exchanged a look with Steve that made Eevie wonder, but she was too busy getting supper on the table to pry. Of course, she had every intention of prying once Becca had left!

 

Supper was much improved from Eevie’s earlier attempts at cooking, which was a great relief to her. It was nice to see people actually enjoying a meal she had made, instead of either stoically choking it down or simply eating because it was necessary.

 

Becca insisted on helping with the washing up while Bucky hitched her horses to the buggy she had arrived in. Then, after hugs and farewells, she was on her way back home.

 

Almost as soon as she was out the door, Bucky had caught Eevie up and swung her around in a circle, while she yelped and wrapped her arms around his neck. “Bucky!” She drew back and looked up at him as he set her back down, though he was still grinning down at her. “What in Heaven’s name was that for?”

 

“Because I wanted to. And because I have good news for you. We have good news for you.”

 

“Oh?” She asked, smiling herself now.

 

“With what we got for the wheat crop this year, and what we stand to make from the potatoes come spring, we have more than enough saved to build us a proper house.” He announced proudly. Eevie gaped at him, not having expected that.

 

“We what?”

 

“We’re going to build a house.” Steve repeated, “We can start construction in a month or so, once we get the materials from Cobb City.”

 

“I… Shouldn’t we wait another year?” Eevie asked hesitantly, “Just to have something saved up. There’s nothing wrong with the current house, and-”

 

“-Even though it’s made of dirt?” Bucky frowned at her.

 

“Because it’s plastered and has the wood floor, you can hardly tell.” Eevie countered.

 

“We thought you’d be excited to get a new house.” Steve was frowning as well, puzzled by her reticence.

 

“I’ve barely gotten used to this one. It’s still new to me.” She pointed out, “And it’s a good house. There’s nothing wrong with it that can’t wait a year or two.”

 

“A wood house would be easier to keep clean.” Steve pointed out, making Eevie laugh softly.

 

“Oh, I don’t doubt it, but if the two of you are so worried about me keeping the house clean, maybe a fresh coat of plaster inside and out? And we wait until after next harvest for the wood house. It will let us save more, and give us more time to plan, get people involved.”

 

“We can do that, if it’s what you really want.” Bucky sighed, some of the wind taken out of his sails at her pragmatic reaction to the possibility of building a new house.

 

“It is.” Eevie assured.

 

“Then that’s what we’ll do.”

 

“I’m sorry. I know that’s not the answer you were expecting to hear. Wanting to hear.”

 

“It’s all right, darlin’.” Bucky gave her another one of his quicksilver grins, “I just hope you react better to the rest of our news.”

 

“There’s more?”

 

“There is.” Steve agreed, before exchanging a look with Bucky, both men looking a little nervous a moment, before Bucky took a deep breath and looked back to her.

 

“I love you.” Bucky announced, “Forever and always. Just as much as I love Steve. It’s not quite the same, because I’ve loved him for so long, and because you’re a different person, but just because it’s different doesn’t mean that it’s not just as great.”

 

“And I love you, too.” Steve agreed, “I can’t say it snuck up on me; it was so easy to care for you that I knew loving you would be easy, and it was. I could never imagine a life without Bucky, but now that you’re here and a part of our lives, I can’t see a life without you in it either.”

 

Eevie had been stunned by Bucky’s words, but then she had smiled, her joyful smile growing broader and brighter with each word he said, and then with every word Steve uttered. By the time Steve finished, her smile was so bright it could have lit up the room by itself without any help from the lanterns, and was so broad it nearly split her face in two.

 

“And I love you. Both of you. Forever and always.” She said, echoing Bucky’s sentiment, “Even though I get frustrated or angry sometimes, I do love you. Loving the both of you was so easy, just like you said it was for you, Steve, and it sort of crept up on me.” She looked to Bucky, “With your making sure I can stand on my own feet but still looking out for me with the others, making certain I have the help I need,” She looked to Steve, “And with how you seem to know what is in me when I can’t manage the words myself, and then with how caring and patient you both are… I couldn’t help but fall in love with the two of you. And I can’t see my life without either one of you in it. I don’t want to see a life without either one of you in it.”

 

Bucky and Steve smiled at her words, just as happy to hear her declarations as she had been to hear theirs. Then they were moving to her and she was rushing towards them, and the three caught one another up in their arms, holding tight as kisses were shared. Kisses that started out tender, but rapidly became heated. Eevie started to pull away after several long minutes, but Bucky pulled her back.

 

“We should go-” She started to say, but Steve was the one to cut her off with a kiss so passionate it made her toes curl.

 

“Doesn’t always have to be in a bed, remember?” Bucky asked, running a hand down her back, then squeezing her rear. Eevie let out a soft moan of agreement, one hand on Steve’s hip, moving the other to Bucky’s shoulder and drawing away from Steve so that she could kiss Bucky just as heatedly, with just as much desire and raw need. She knew that Bucky was right; it didn’t always have to be in a bed, and sometimes it was more fun outside of a bed.

 

This time, it looked like things were going to take place on the floor of the living room. Steve tried leading them towards the table, but there was a stumble and a surprised cry, and then the three went down hard, landing on the wooden floor with a resounding ‘thud’ that made the jars on the shelf in the pantry rattle. Steve tried hurriedly to get off of Bucky, who had half fallen on Eevie, who began to laugh as soon as she was able to get air back into her lungs. Her peals of laughter made the two men smile, and then grin, before they began laughing themselves. Bucky moved to kiss Eevie, kiss soft and gentle, even as the two tried to stifle their laughter and get down to the more serious business of kissing. Thankfully, the tumble and laughter had not ruined the moment, or stopped it; it had enhanced their moment, made it even more uniquely theirs and theirs alone. Eevie was learning that it wasn’t always about the tender or heated moments, but also the comical ones, or ridiculous ones. Love involved and encompassed all of their shared experiences.

 

Even the ones that left her ribs a bit bruised when two men landed on top of her.

 

Hands behind her made quick work of her apron strings, and the apron was hastily discarded while Steve worked to get the buttons running up the front of her dress open. Eevie began to feel a bit light headed, and warm, so very warm from their touches, from the heated kisses she was sharing with Bucky, the laughter gone now, replaced with stark need.

 

Bucky drew back and pulled Steve into a kiss, deep and passionate, and as Eevie watched she could see the love they felt for one another captured in that kiss, a kiss that was as if they were letting their very souls wrap up around one another. It never occurred to her to be jealous of a love that deep, only that she wanted similar kisses, wanted the both of them just as badly as they wanted one another. She spread her legs a little, trying to get more comfortable beneath them on the floor as she ran one hand up Bucky’s arm, the other up Steve’s, not interrupting, but silently letting them know that she was there, that she wanted attention as well. The two men pulled away from each other, and then Steve pounced; there was really no other word for it. She had no time to prepare herself—though she was plenty prepared—before his mouth was on hers, hard and demanding, hungry and full of love and need. Oh so much need.

 

Meanwhile Bucky had moved to spread her legs further apart, pulling up the fabric of her skirt and petticoats, then slipping his hands beneath the fabric and pushing it up so that it was bunched around her waist as he began kissing up her calf. The only time she wore proper stockings was on Sundays, but today was a work day, which meant the flesh was bare beneath his lips. Steve reached down to grip the fabric of her chemise just over her belly, fisting his hand in it before yanking it upward, so that her breasts were exposed and the fabric was bunched up on her chest above her breasts, leaving Eevie feeling exposed, and very wanton.

 

Steve palmed one of her breasts, then stroked his thumb over her nipple as he kissed her again, this kiss briefer, needier than the previous kiss, almost desperate. Then he dragged his lips from hers along the line of her jaw, down her pale neck and skipping over the bunched-up fabric of her chemise so that they could find his intended destination, which was around one of her nipples. She moaned loudly, reaching up to bury a hand in his hair, to hold onto him as he pressed his tongue against the sensitive bud, drawing a lusty whine from her.

 

Bucky had continued kissing up her legs, had pulled down her drawers so that he could kiss the soft insides of her thighs. Then he was stroking her, running his fingers up and down her slit and stealing all the air from her lungs as he did. He moved his face to the curls that usually hid her folds, before nuzzling her there, and then doing what she had hoped he would, running his tongue up her folds, teasing her sweet spot with the tip of his tongue when he reached it before sucking the little nub into his mouth.

 

Eevie cried out, feeling as if she were on fire now, not just warm, her blood positively boiling, pulse racing, pounding so hard in her ears that it was drowning out almost everything else. Steve then drew his hands away from her so that he could fumble with the fastenings of his trousers, then slipping the straps of his suspenders down his shoulders so he could push his trousers down, tugging his arms free impatiently, cursing as he got tangled up in his shirt. Eevie let out a giggle at that before she reached out, taking his cock into hand and beginning to stroke it even as Bucky slipped two fingers into her and hooked them, hitting her other sweet spot, wringing another cry from her. He smirked at that, the ass, and then focused on curling his fingers inside her, hitting that spot, all while tonguing her clit. Bucky kept up the torment, filling Eevie with an intense pressure until she came with another cry, panting out their names as she sank back against the floor.

 

“I think the Parker’s probably heard that.” Steve murmured as Bucky eased her down before withdrawing his hand.

 

“Probably.” Bucky sounded smug. He looked to Steve, “Come here and taste her on me.” He demanded. Steve went willingly, kissing Bucky while Eevie watched, trying to get her breath back, the darkness clearing from the edges of her vision. Steve ran his tongue over Bucky’s lips before pushing it into his mouth, letting out a low growl of hunger as he did, Eevie’s hand—still on his cock—making him want more. While they kissed, the two men worked on getting Bucky’s trousers unfastened and pushed down, Steve’s hand going to Bucky’s cock and giving it several slow strokes before Bucky drew back.

 

“I want to watch you two.” He breathed out, and Eevie smiled slowly, sitting up and shrugging her arms out of the sleeves of her gown, pulling her chemise up over her head so it was no longer bunched up around her chest. It prompted the two men to begin helping each other get the rest of their clothes off quickly, everything the three of them wore winding up scattered around them on the floor, but none of them cared, too desperate to get their hands on one another. This time it was Eevie who prowled forward as Steve settled back so he was seated. She climbed into his lap and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, drawing him down for a heated kiss as he brought up his hands to cup her breasts once again, while tongues slicked against each other and mouths were bruised from the force behind their kisses. Eevie shifted as she straddled him, feeling the heat of his cock against her slick folds, moaning at the heat of him against her. While she still felt heated and flushed, between her legs felt cold and achy, but she knew the solution to the problem that presented. She reached down and took Steve’s cock in hand, slowly guiding him to her cunt, sinking down on him with a moan, the arm still around him tightening as she took him in to the root, stretching her out in the way she needed.

 

After taking a moment to simply savor the feel of him fully inside her, Eevie began to move, rocking her hips and rising up and sinking back down on his cock. A glance at Bucky revealed that he was watching them avidly, hungrily, stroking his own cock as he watched Eevie and Steve move together. For some reason, that sight made Eevie’s gut clench, made other parts clench, which drew moans from both her and Steve, who also looked to Bucky. He watched their husband a minute, before jerking his head in a motion that asked Bucky to join them. There was no hesitation, and as Eevie’s movements quickened, became a little more frantic, her breath coming faster—just as Steve’s was—Bucky pressed his lips to Steve’s in a kiss that was all heat and teeth and hard desire. Eevie felt unworthy of watching that kiss, but she wanted it, wanted the both of them so badly, but in her heart curled the knowledge that she was theirs and they were hers, no matter how things looked in a given moment.

 

That was all she needed.

 

As she moved over Steve she feathered kisses down Bucky’s neck, then reached for his cock, beginning to stroke him in rhythm with her movements. Bucky moaned out, a sound that was almost a snarl as his hips jerked forward at the unexpected but welcome touch.

 

Steve reached between himself and Eevie then, beginning to stroke at her clit, and she knew he was close, knew that she was close. She could hear Steve panting against Bucky’s lips as he tried to snatch in a lungful of air, hear the catch in his throat, a small hitching in his breathing that let her know that Steve was close, so close… And then she was biting down on Bucky’s shoulder as she came, clenching down around Steve, who shouted into Bucky’s mouth as he came, pulsing inside of Eevie, filling her with hot spurts, each twitch inside her making her gasp out, so sensitive from their touches.

 

Then Bucky pulled away from Steve and moved behind Eevie, catching her by her hips and lifting her neatly off of Steve’s cock, making her gasp out and hold onto him tighter with the arm still hooked over his shoulders, made her lean against Steve to bear her weight as Bucky entered her from behind with a single powerful snap of his hips. Eevie cried out, wrapping her other arm around Steve who braced himself by putting a hand on the floor behind him, leaning back on it as Bucky’s thrusts drove Eevie into him. As she clung to Steve he wrapped his free arm around her waist, kissing her face, her neck, her shoulder, anywhere he could reach, while he murmured encouragement and words of love and affection. Bucky was panting out similar words as he rose on his knees behind her, one hand going to Steve’s shoulder for added leverage while he brought his other around to rub at Eevie’s clit again, wrenching a keening cry from deep within her.

 

Then she heard the slight whine Bucky made, and instead of simply holding on to Steve for dear life against Bucky’s assault on her body she began to try and meet Bucky’s thrusts, rolling her hips for added enjoyment that made her see stars.

 

When she came for the third time, she swore she almost blacked out, arms tightening around Steve and movements becoming jerky, hard for her to maintain. It was enough to set Bucky off, and then he panted her name as he came.

 

There was a collective groan, and the three collapsed into a tangled heap on the floor.

 

“You all right, sweetheart?” Steve murmured after a minute, none of them quite to the point where they could muster the strength to move.

 

“Mmm.” Eevie let out a contented hum. “Think we’ve managed to sate him for the next five minutes?” She managed to murmur, earning a chuckle from Steve and a snort of amusement from Bucky.

 

“Darlin’, I can assure you that I am _very_ sated,” He paused, “At least until we get into bed.”

 

His words sent all three of them into giggles and snorts of laughter.

 

“Give us about ten minutes.” Steve finally promised, “Then we’ll have another go.” He closed his eyes and smiled, “I love the two of you. So much.”

 

“I love the both of you.” Bucky murmured, and Eevie felt warmth inside her again, a different warmth than the fever-like lust and arousal they woke in her. This was deeper, more satisfying, more comfortable.

 

“And I love the both of you.” She breathed out, “So very much.”

 

Together, they lapsed into silence, simply enjoying the nearness of one another, and basking in their love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ... This story is turning out to have more smut in it than anything else I have ever written or have already planned out to write. Sorry not sorry?


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which they dance around a subject.

It was a chilly early November morning when Eevie looked out the window as she prepared a late breakfast for them. Steve and Bucky had gone to take care of the stock at the usual time, but as they did most winter mornings, they had crawled back into bed with Eevie once the chores were done, looking for her to warm them up. Which she was usually quite happy to do.

 

If they noticed what she had, they didn’t say anything, just as she didn’t. She didn’t want to break the spell of hope and excitement that had begun to quietly rise within her. She assumed it was the same for both of her husbands as well.

 

“The weather looks like it will be clear today.” She ventured, the sun on the snow a bright contrast to the gloomy, snow filled days of late.

 

“After a storm like the one we just had, it should be clear for a day or two.” Steve agreed, moving to a window at the front of the house to see the skies for himself.

 

“Would you mind hitching up the sleigh for me after breakfast?” Eevie asked lightly, looking towards Steve as she asked the question, even as she cracked eggs into the sizzling skillet without looking. Fried eggs were a meal she had perfected early on, and she hardly needed to look at the pan now.

 

Steve and Bucky both looked to her sharply, Steve from where he stood and Bucky from where he sat in his armchair. There was no disguising the sudden interest, or the flash of hope she saw on Steve’s face, which a quick glance told her was mirrored on Bucky’s. “Going visiting?” Bucky was the one to ask.

 

“Laura Barton mentioned having a meeting of the sewing circle today, if the weather was clear. I’d like to go, if that’s all right with the both of you. It means you’ll be on your own for dinner, but I should be home in time to get supper on the table.”

 

“I don’t see why you couldn’t go. Do you want one of us to drive you to town?” Steve asked as Eevie turned her attention back to the stove.

 

“That was going to be my next question. If one of you would drive me, I mean. I don’t want to leave the team standing in the cold all day.”

 

“We’d be happy to.” Steve was silent a moment, before trying to ask as casually as possible and succeeding somewhat, “Will Missus Wilson be there?”

 

“Which Missus Wilson?” Eevie asked, though a flush was rising on her cheeks. They had noticed. Of course they had noticed, she told herself. She was being a ninny, should just come out and say it, but she was too worried about jinxing it, about it being a fluke. “The quilt is going to be for Vanessa Wilson, since she’s so close to her time. I expect that Constance Wilson will be there as well, unless she gets called away for a delivery.”

 

She didn’t see it, but Steve and Bucky exchanged a look between them, hope and worry both. Bucky was the one to ask the next question. “You’d tell us if there was something we should know?”

 

Eevie bit her lower lip. “I would tell you as soon as I knew anything for certain.” She temporized.

 

“That’s all we can ask.” Steve said kindly.

 

“Breakfast is about ready.” She told them.

 

“I’ll set the table.” Bucky offered, rising. “And I’ll drive you to town after breakfast.”

 

“I’ll bring you home tonight.” Steve promised, “Get there about four, four thirty?”

 

“Four thirty should be more than enough time.” Eevie agreed, “Thank you. Both of you.”

 

Bucky moved to place a kiss on her shoulder as he moved past her to get the plates and cutlery. “You’re welcome. You know what we say,”

 

“Happy spouse, happy house.” Steve finished for Bucky.

 

Eevie smiled. “Happy spouse, happy house.” She echoed.

 

The ride to town that morning was cold, and Eevie felt it, despite being bundled up and pressed against Bucky’s side. He and Steve radiated just as much heat as any furnace, she had said on several occasions before snuggling against them. When Bucky stopped in front of the store he wrapped an arm around Eevie, preventing her from getting out of the sleigh. She looked to him, startled, but he just smiled at her, before kissing her tenderly.

 

“I’ll see you tonight.”

 

“Tonight. And maybe I’ll have good news.” She confessed softly, causing his face to light up with a smile. No more words were said between them; he simply kissed her again, then helped her unwrap from the blanket she had bundled up in and watched her step into the alley beside the mercantile. The alley was really more of a walkway, leading only to the Barton house, which was tucked away behind the mercantile.

 

When Eevie knocked on the door, it was opened almost immediately by little Lilah Barton, who grinned up at Eevie with a gap-toothed smile. “Good morning, Missus Barnes-Rogers. Won’t you please come in?” She asked rather formally as she stepped aside to let Eevie into the house.

 

“Why thank you, Miss Barton. I would love to come inside.” Eevie smiled back at the little girl, before stepping into the house, having to grit her teeth to keep them from chattering. Her flannel union suit, flannel petticoats, and new woolen coat with her old shawl over it staved off some of the cold, but she could still feel it cutting right through her the longer she was outside.

 

As she entered the mudroom, she removed her wraps, hanging them on the hooks in the wall, recognizing the outerwear of quite a few women, including Constance Wilson. She was relieved at that, and hoped she would be able to catch the woman alone for a few words.

 

Once she had divested herself of her outerwear, Lilah escorted her into the house proper, and into a spacious, well-appointed sitting room, a little stove in the corner radiating heat and keeping the room cozy. Eevie’s greeting was as warm as the stove, and she soon found herself sitting beside Vanessa on a comfortable sofa, placing her battered old sewing basket that had seen better days down at her feet.

 

“How are you feeling?” Eevie asked Vanessa by way of greeting.

 

“Pregnant.” Vanessa chuckled, rubbing her distended belly. “Only about two more weeks, according to Constance.”

 

“Remember what I told you about first babies usually coming late.” Constance said as she swept over to the two women, sitting down on the other side of Eevie, leaving her feeling sandwiched between Constance and Vanessa.

 

“And almost always in the middle of the night.” Vanessa smiled to Constance, “I’ve listened to every word you said, I promise.” She looked down at her baby bump, “I just hope that this little one is the exception to the rule.”

 

“God willing.” Constance chuckled, before turning her attention to Eevie. “I’m surprised you haven’t come to see me yet. Everything going well between you and those men of yours?”

 

From her seat in an armchair nearby, Becca laughed. “Whenever I go to see them, they’re all getting along just fine. I’ve never seen three people so besotted.”

 

“Except for when Isaac looks at you.” Laura pointed out with a smile of her own, “It’s always like that at the beginning.”

 

“And it gets better as time goes on.” Constance agreed.

 

Eevie had flushed scarlet. “Everything is fine between us. Better than fine.” Her words made the others laugh and exchange knowing looks, “But, um,” She was having trouble getting the words out, her voice little more than an embarrassed whisper now, “I was hoping to have a few words with you later, Constance.”

 

Becca gasped, delighted, “Oh, Eevie! Truly?” She demanded.

 

Eevie ducked her head slightly, “I’m not truly certain yet,” She warned, “It’s why I wanted to talk to Constance.”

 

“Go ahead and use our bedroom.” Laura said, smiling broadly. “You know where it is, Constance.”

 

“I should, after delivering two of your babies.” Constance drawled, rising to her feet. “It’s this way, Eevie.”

 

Eevie rose quickly to follow her, still nervous. What if she was wrong? She didn’t know how she’d take the disappointment, or how she’d tell Bucky and Steve. She didn’t want to see the disappointment on their faces, not after the hope she had seen there that morning.

 

When Steve stepped into the Barton house to collect her that evening, he took one look at her face and knew. He looked to Constance for confirmation, but she only smiled and turned back to finish speaking with Laura. It was enough for him; had the news been anything but good, there would have been some indicator.

 

As he stood in the mudroom with Eevie, helping her to put all her wraps back on, he couldn’t help but ask. He knew he should wait until Bucky was there, but he had to be certain. “Good news?”

 

“I’ll tell you when we get home.” She promised, looking up at him with a grin that she was unable to contain. Steve’s heart leapt at that, and he pulled her into a fierce embrace.

 

“I love you, Evelyn Barnes-Rogers.” He whispered, ghosting his lips over her temple.

 

“And I love you, Steven Barnes-Rogers. Help me finish bundling up. I don’t want to catch a chill.”

 

There was even more reason now to keep her warm and protected, Steve thought as he carefully bundled her up.

 

“I’m not going to break if you touch me.”

 

“Sorry, it’s just…” He trailed off, unable to put it into words, but she knew what he meant without the words. She stood on her tiptoes and pulled him down for a quick kiss.

 

“Let’s get home to our husband.” She grinned up at him.

 

For the ride back to the farm, Steve kept Eevie close to his side, an arm wrapped tightly around her. Eevie couldn’t keep the smile from her face, even though she tried as she stepped through the door of the house. Bucky was at her side almost immediately, helping to divest her of her wraps and hanging them up for her.

 

“Good news?” He asked eagerly, and she laughed, reaching up and wrapping an arm around his neck, pulling him down for a kiss.

 

“Once Steve is inside.” She told him firmly, eyes dancing with merriment. Bucky gave her the broadest grin she had ever seen, and he practically crushed her to him in a tight, exuberant embrace.

 

“Bucky!” She laughed, struggling to pull away. “Not yet!”

 

“Hard not to celebrate just yet.” Bucky pointed out, still grinning.

 

“Well you’ll have to keep from celebrating until I have actually said something to the both of you. Together.” She said rather saucily as she hung up the last of her outerwear. “I should get supper started.”

 

“Darlin’,” Bucky sighed, “Right now, supper is the last thing on my mind.”

 

“Well it is the second thing on my mind. Dinner at Laura’s was nice, but it was a very light dinner. So, I am feeling more than a bit peckish at the moment.” She said as she pulled on her apron before checking the salted cod she had put to soak the night before. She selected a pot to fill with water from the pails Steve had brought in earlier, setting it on the stove to heat.

 

“I can understand that.” Bucky gave a sly smile, “And eating is important right now, isn’t it?”

 

“Nice try, my love, but you and Steve will simply both have to wait until I’m ready to say.” She gave him an impish grin over her shoulder, earning a frustrated groan.

 

“Eevie, please.”

 

“This is fun.” She giggled as she put another pot of water on to boil and got a few potatoes from the basket. “If I had known what withholding information from you was like, I would have done it sooner.”

 

Bucky let out an irritated growl and stalked towards his chair, taking a seat and scowling at the newspaper but not picking it up to read it. He wouldn’t remember anything he had read anyway, the state his mind was in.

 

When Steve walked in the door, Bucky got to his feet quickly. “He’s here. _Now_ will you tell us?”

 

“We-ell…” She said slowly, drawing out the word, biting her lips to keep from giggling at Bucky’s vexed groan.

 

“Well, what?” Steve asked, quickly shedding his outer layers of clothing.

 

She turned to look at them, her smile lighting up the room. “In about seven months we’re-”

 

She didn’t get to finish. Bucky whooped and charged towards her, scooping her up and showering her face with kisses, Steve right behind him, wrapping his arms around the two of them and holding them tight, pressing a kiss to the top of Eevie’s head. She kissed Bucky, and then tilted her head to kiss Steve, pausing, startled.

 

“Are you crying?”

 

Steve gave her a smile, tears in his eyes. “I’m just very happy right now.”

 

“Amen to that.” Bucky said, kissing the side of Steve’s head, but not releasing Eevie yet. “Amen.”


	20. Chapter 20

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a bad thing happens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: miscarriage

Four days later, Eevie felt the first cramp. She had been gathering up the dinner dishes to wash when it twisted through her gut, making her gasp in surprise and set the dishes back down on the table quickly.

 

“Sweetheart?” Steve asked, concerned, as he set down his cup of coffee, Bucky doing the same.

 

“Just a stomach pain. Dinner might not be sitting well.” She tried to reassure them, tried to reassure herself, but a tendril of worry coiled in her mind, an insidious thing that was turning to fear. She knew that soon she would have an upset stomach from the pregnancy, but there was not supposed to be pain.

 

Steve’s expression was dubious, but he said nothing more. He and Bucky watched her a bit more closely as she cleaned up, and when she paused in wiping the dishes to place a hand on her lower belly, they were out of their chairs immediately.

 

“Go get Missus Wilson.” Steve’s voice carried the firm tone of command.

 

“Yup.” Bucky said, already halfway across the room to get his coat, while Steve went to Eevie’s side and wrapped an arm around her waist, his touch gentle.

 

“Come and sit down.” He had gentled his tone, but there were undertones there; he was not making a request, but giving an order.

 

“It’s probably nothing-”

 

“-But it might be something.” He cut her off, “Come and sit. I’ll finish up with the dishes.”

 

Eevie nodded, and allowed herself to be led to her chair while Bucky headed outside to brave the cold.

 

By the time Bucky had arrived with the midwife, the pain was more constant, and Eevie felt wetness on her thighs when she stood to greet Constance, who did not pause in removing her wraps.

 

“Let’s go to the bedroom, shall we?” She asked Eevie, immediately moving to the young woman’s side. Eevie nodded, and led her to the room. When Steve and Bucky made to follow, Constance shook her head.

 

“Not you two. Wait out here. Do you have water heating?”

 

“Yes.” Steve said tersely, “I was going to make her some tea-”

 

“Hold off on doing that for a spell.” Missus Wilson ordered, before following Eevie behind the yellow curtain that served as a bedroom door. “And don’t the two of you listen at the doorway, either!”

 

Steve and Bucky exchanged worried glances.

 

Not even five minutes later, they could hear Eevie choke out a sob, and both men looked at the doorway in anguish. Constance pulled aside the curtain and looked out at the two.

 

“Fix a pot of willow bark tea, and get me a pitcher of warm water.” She ordered, before letting the curtain fall back into place.

 

Bucky’s heart was in his throat as he filled the pitcher off the commode in Becca’s old room. Steve’s gut was churning with anxiety as he measured out the tea and prepared it. Neither man was stupid; but each of them held onto the hope that they were wrong.

 

“Missus Wilson?” Bucky asked from outside the curtain. He could hear measured steps on the plank floor, and then Constance had pulled the curtain aside, reaching to take the pitcher from him. Over her head, Bucky could see Eevie stripped down to her chemise, seated on the edge of the bed but hunched in on herself, shoulders shaking with silent sobs.

 

“Thank you.” Constance said, before turning away, letting the curtain fall back into place. Bucky reached for it, pulled it back and stepped into the room after her. “This isn’t a place for you, Mister Barnes-Rogers.”

 

“Like hell it isn’t. She needs us.” Bucky scowled at the dark-skinned woman, who was scowling right back at him, before she finally sighed.

 

“All right. But this isn’t pretty business.” She warned.

 

“I figured as much, but part of being married to her means I take the ugly right along with the beautiful.” He said as he strode past Constance to stand before Eevie. She was seated on toweling, and he could see the blood. Tears pricked at his eyes, but he held them back, sitting down beside her on the bed and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Eevie leaned against him, turning partially to face him, and with his other hand Bucky reached up to stroke back her hair. “Easy there, darlin’.” He murmured, trying for a reassuring tone and somehow managing it, “It’s going to be all right.”

 

“No, it’s not.” Eevie protested, voice a hoarse whisper.

 

“You’re going to be fine,” Constance assured Eevie as she filled the basin atop the commode with hot water from the pitcher Bucky had brought her. “This happens more often than people like to admit, this early on.”

 

“Knowing that doesn’t make it any easier.” Bucky snapped, before sighing. “I’m sorry.”

 

“You’re hurting right now. Only natural to be a bit angry. Evelyn, honey, I’m going to help clean you up a bit, all right? Mister Barnes-Rogers, I’m going to need her sanitary supplies and nightgown.”

 

Bucky scowled, not liking the idea of abandoning Eevie. He pressed a kiss to the top of her head before releasing her, getting the items Constance asked for. Together the three of them got Eevie cleaned up and properly outfitted, before putting her to bed.

 

“I’ve brought the tea,” Steve said from just outside the door.

 

“Bring it on in.” Constance called, bundling up the stained supplies, “I’ll scrub these before I go. I want her to stay in bed for the rest of today and all of tomorrow. It will be just like a monthly, but a bit heavier, and a bit more uncomfortable. Use a hot water bottle and willow bark tea to help with the discomfort. No relations for a week.”

 

“Yes, ma’am.” Eevie whispered out as Steve sat beside her on the bed and offered the tea to her.

 

“Loss like this is still going to hurt, but you three still have one another, and you can always try again. Don’t lose sight of that.” Constance admonished as Eevie sipped at the tea, which Steve had sweetened with a bit of sugar for her. “You three remember that, and lean on one another, and you can get through anything.”

 

“We’ll keep that in mind,” Steve said, reaching up and brushing back Eevie’s hair, just as Bucky had. It was a comforting gesture, and Eevie leaned into his touch, needing the contact and comfort he offered.

 

“I’ll go and wash these. Get that tea into her, and then rest.” Constance said firmly, striding swiftly from the room.

 

There were no words spoken, but Bucky and Steve sat on either side of Eevie, holding her, Bucky’s arm around her waist, Steve’s around her shoulders. When she finished her tea, Steve took the cup from her and set it on the nightstand. They helped her to lie down beneath the covers, before each man removed his boots and laid down beside her atop the blankets.

 

“I’m sorry.” Eevie said after several minutes of just holding and being held.

 

“You have nothing to be sorry about. It isn’t anyone’s fault.” Bucky told her firmly, “Missus Wilson said this happens often.”

 

“Nothing you could have done to prevent it.” Steve agreed quietly, “It just means it isn’t time for us to be parents yet, that’s all. We can always try again.”

 

“Hell, with how often we like falling into bed together, it’s bound to happen again.” Bucky agreed. “Our time will come, darlin’. I know it will.”

 

“I feel like… It feels like I did something wrong.” She said the words reluctantly. “And if I hadn’t, if I had done everything right, I wouldn’t have lost the baby.”

 

“You can’t think like that.” Steve said fiercely, taking her by surprise. She looked up at him, eyes wide.

 

“But-”

 

“You didn’t do anything wrong.” He reiterated, “I know you wouldn’t have done anything other than your best, and that’s all anyone can do, but this? Something like this is beyond your control. Beyond any of ours.” He pulled her closer and tucked her head under his chin. Bucky pressed up behind her, arms around both her and Steve. She could feel Bucky’s breath on the back of her neck, feel Steve’s heartbeat against her own, and her spirit felt more settled from having them so close.

 

“I love you both, so much.” She whispered, “I don’t… It’s going to take a while to accept it. That it wasn’t my fault.”

 

“We’ll just keep on reminding you that it wasn’t until you do accept it.” Bucky murmured.

 

“Thank you.” She closed her eyes, taking solace in their embrace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry not sorry. For the short chapter and the content of it.
> 
> This is something a lot of people struggle with, and I wanted to show a more realistic view on a relationship here, not just the polished, happy stuff that so many romance novels are all about. Because despite all of the happy fluff so far, this is going to be a decidedly NOT happy story at some points.
> 
> But don't worry, we still have a bit more fluff left.


	21. Chapter 21

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which guests arrive.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warning: discussion on miscarriage

Steve slipped from the bed that evening to prepare supper for the three of them, and more willow bark tea for Eevie. She wanted to get out of bed to eat at the table, but Steve and Bucky wouldn’t hear of it.

 

“Maybe for breakfast, if you’re feeling better,” Bucky said, remaining in bed to keep her company.

 

“I’ll need to get up to use the privy soon. Might as well get up to eat.” She countered.

 

Bucky frowned, looking to Steve for his opinion.

 

“Sitting at the table for meals should be all right,” Steve said after a moment of thought, though he was also frowning, “But after that, it’s back to bed. You heard Missus Wilson.”

 

“All right.” Eevie agreed.

 

“And until dinner, you stay there with Bucky.” Steve added.

 

“Such a hardship.” Eevie muttered, snuggling against the husband who had remained in bed with her.

 

The following morning, Bucky slipped from the bed to do the chores, but Steve remained beside Eevie. When she tried to slip from the bed, Steve wrapped his arms around her, keeping her from rising.

 

“You stay in bed.” He murmured sleepily.

 

“I have to prepare breakfast.” She protested.

 

“Bucky will do it.” He countered.

 

“After doing all the chores without help?” She demanded waspishly.

 

“He and I discussed this last night. I did the evening chores without help, he said he’d do the morning ones.” He pressed a kiss to her shoulder, “We decided that one of us should stay with you today.”

 

“That really isn’t necessary.”

 

“Let us take care of you, sweetheart.” He urged her, “We don’t want to lose you now that we’ve found you.”

 

Eevie couldn’t help but smile at that. “You’re not going to lose me.” She assured him with a sigh, shifting in bed so that she faced him. She reached up and placed a hand on his cheek, “I’m not going to go anywhere.”

 

“You might get called to go where we can’t follow, not yet, anyway.”

 

“And so might either one of you. I’m not going to live my life afraid of something bad happening.”

 

He smiled sadly at her. “Then we’ll try to do the same. As long as the three of us are together, we can weather any storm the world throws at us.”

 

She couldn’t help but smile at that. “As long as we’re all together.” She agreed, before snuggling close, Steve tightening his arms around her. They remained that way even when Bucky came in from finishing the chores and the smell of coffee and frying bacon filled the house. When he called that breakfast was almost ready, Steve helped Eevie from the bed and to the outhouse, though she protested that she didn’t need the help.

 

After breakfast, Bucky escorted Eevie back to bed, and then the two men sat with her; Bucky telling her stories from their childhood, while Steve slowly combed out her hair. Then they just lay curled up together until a little after nine, when they could hear voices outside.

 

“I’ll go and see who it is.” Bucky said, reluctantly getting out of bed, in only his shirt, trousers, and stocking feet. He had just left the room when there came a firm knock at the front door. From the bed, they could hear him open the door, and then his surprised words of “Reverend, Missus Barton,” which had Steve scrambling from the bed to hurriedly get dressed, as he and Eevie were still in their nightclothes. Eevie started to get up as well, but Steve gently forced her back into the bed.

 

“Rest in bed, remember?”

 

Eevie scowled up at him, letting out a huff. “I remember.” She muttered, quickly making certain the blankets were pulled up around her waist.

 

Eevie could hear Reverend Coulson rather clearly, “Constance Wilson told me that you had suffered a loss and might be in need of some comfort and guidance.”

 

“I was in his parlor when she stopped by and couldn’t help but overhear, even though they were in the hall.” Laura was saying apologetically, “I brought by a casserole and some cookies, and thought I would sit with Eevie for a spell, as long as there are no objections.”

 

Bucky had let them into the house, “I don’t think there will be, but we weren’t exactly expecting company.” He apologized, “Would either of you mind waiting out here while I ask Steve and Eevie?”

 

“We won’t mind at all.” Coulson said. Bucky then hurried into the bedroom.

 

“We heard.” Steve said lowly as Bucky opened his mouth to speak, Steve half dressed by that point. “Some company might do Eevie good, and I’d like to hear what guidance that Reverend Coulson can give us.”

 

“So do I.” Eevie said, “And I don’t mind Laura seeing me like this, as long as she understands that I can’t exactly dress for company right now.”

 

“I don’t think she or Coulson will mind. I’ll get you your shawl, help you cover up a bit.” Bucky said as he tugged on his waistcoat and jacket, Eevie giving him a grateful look.

 

The visit was not a long one, but it did help. Reverend Coulson shared several bible verses with them, and then just sat and talked for a while. Eventually, he suggested that the menfolk vacate the bedroom for the main room, so that Eevie and Laura had a chance to talk without them around. Once they were gone, Laura rose from her chair and moved to sit on the edge of the bed, reaching and taking Eevie’s hand in her own.

 

“It is a terrible loss, but you mustn’t take it to heart.” Laura told her softly, “I’ve lost three babies before they could be born, and two after. It breaks your heart, losing them, whether you have had a chance to hold them in your arms or not. All we can do is keep on living and do their living for them. Love and laugh harder, hold the loved ones still here with us a little tighter.”

 

“It seems almost wrong to grieve,” Eevie said after a moment, “We only knew I was expecting for a few days, and I wasn’t far along, but… It doesn’t seem right not to grieve.”

 

“I can’t tell you what it is and isn’t right to feel,” Laura said gently. “If you hurt, then you hurt. If it doesn’t hurt as badly as you think it should, well, that just means your heart is meant to take on heavier loads later.”

 

Eevie couldn’t help but smile wryly at that. “I don’t think I want to know what heavier loads I could bear.”

 

“No one does. We all hope we never find out, but remember, the Lord doesn’t give us more than he feels we can handle.”

 

Eevie wished she could believe that. “Maybe… I don’t know.” She sighed.

 

“Well, you’re young yet.” Laura smiled at Eevie, “Life still has quite a few lessons in store for you.”

 

“I hope they’re mostly easy ones.”

 

Laura laughed, “Oh, honey, we all do, but not all of them will be. That’s just the nature of the beast. Now, why don’t I fetch your knitting and show you a new stitch I know? It’ll be handy when knitting your Christmas mufflers.”

 

“Christmas mufflers?” Eevie asked, confused.

 

“Aren’t you working on anything for your menfolk for Christmas?”

 

Eevie paled somewhat and shook her head ‘no’. “We never exchanged presents at the orphanage. I never even thought about doing it as an adult.”

 

“Oh dear. Well, when it comes time to bring back the dish I brought my casserole in, you make sure to do it during the week. I’ll tell your husbands I’d like it back before Sunday if that’ll help. Then we can do a little shopping and get you some more worsteds. Mufflers are easy enough to knit or crochet, and make good presents. You can always use another muffler in weather like we get!”

 

Eevie laughed, knowing that was true. “Let me get my knitting-”

 

“You stay right there. Just tell me where it is and I’ll go and get it.”

 

“All right.”

 

The two women spent a pleasant hour together, Laura teaching Eevie how to do a few fancy stitches, which Eevie picked up easily. Cooking might not have been her best skill, but she was very good with textiles; knitting, crochet, and sewing. Laura and Reverend Coulson remained for a simple dinner, prepared by Steve, Laura urging them to use the casserole for their supper. After dinner, Laura did the cleaning up while Bucky got Eevie back to bed, the two guests taking their leave shortly after.

 

The rest of the day was pleasant, Steve and Bucky keeping Eevie company while she knitted a pair of socks for Steve, who wore out socks faster than Bucky, while Bucky seemed to wear everything else out faster than Steve.

 

It was four days later that Eevie felt well enough to venture into town to return the casserole dish. Bucky was the one to drive the sleigh once again, Eevie snuggled up against his side beneath the lap rugs and the blanket she had been bundled in over her winter clothing. When they reached the mercantile Bucky stopped the sleigh out front, tethering the horses to the hitching post and promising the two pintos that they would not be standing long, before helping Eevie out of the sleigh and passing the casserole dish to her.

 

They went into the mercantile proper instead of through the alley to the Barton house, as Eevie had asked Bucky if she could get more yarn while they were there; she had joked that it was all she could do to keep him and Steve properly outfitted with socks, and he had laughed, telling her that he would drown her in yarn if she wanted him to. She had replied that it was hardly necessary, but the exchange had left a smile on her face for most of their journey; a smile that Bucky was relieved to see, for it had been sorely missed over the past few days. Understandably so, but he needed to know that Eevie wouldn’t drop into melancholy, that she would recover and be able to be something close to the laughing, bright-eyed woman she had been only a week earlier.

 

“Eevie and Bucky Barnes-Rogers!” Laura called from behind the counter as the two entered the mercantile, “What are you two doing out in this weather?”

 

“We came to bring you your casserole dish, and to do a little shopping,” Eevie told her friend, carrying the dish over and placing it on the counter before Laura. “And thank you again for the casserole. It was delicious, and much appreciated.”

 

“I’m glad. It’s always a pleasure to cook for those who appreciate it.” Laura said as she took the dish off the counter and moved to put it away. “As for shopping, what can I help you with?”

 

“I need to get yarn.” Eevie sighed, though she sent a grin to Bucky. “These two have worn their socks down to the point where I don’t think they’ll take any more mending.”

 

Bucky grinned at that, not embarrassed in the slightest, but pleased that Eevie was comfortable enough for some good-natured teasing. After conversations had about his teasing her in front of others, such as retelling the incident with the chickens, he knew that Eevie wouldn’t tease him too badly, or about anything that he could be embarrassed over. Not in front of others. In private, maybe, but not in front of others.

 

“Oh, I thought you were going to try knitting one of those cotton warp counterpanes we were talking about at the sewing circle.” Laura said as she stepped out from behind the counter and to where the yarns were displayed.

 

“I don’t know that I can manage an entire counterpane.” Eevie frowned. She had thought about it, and while it was a lovely idea and would certainly brighten up the room, it would be a challenge.

 

“Oh, of course you can. May Parker just finished hers, and she’s talking about starting another. Goodness only knows why she would need two, though I suppose it would be handy to have a spare.” Laura mused.

 

“There a pattern for these counterpanes?” Bucky asked, trailing after the two women. Eevie frowned at him.

 

“We don’t need a counterpane, Bucky. The quilts we have are fine.”

 

“How much yarn is she going to need for a counterpane?” Bucky asked Laura, ignoring Eevie, who was frowning at him. Laura laughed.

 

“I have a few patterns to choose from, and it’s going to take quite a bit of yarn. Oh, don’t scowl, honey,” She told Eevie, “The winter is the best time to start a project like that. It’ll keep you busy and out of trouble while your men do their work around the farm.”

 

“I suppose…” Eevie finally agreed, rather dubiously.

 

“So, pick out the yarn you want for your counterpane, darlin’.” Bucky smiled at Eevie, quite cheerful.

 

“Then you have to pick out yarn in colors you would like, and colors Steve would like.” She said, raising her chin a bit defiantly.

 

“You going to make a counterpane of many colors?” He asked, amused.

 

“No, but Christmas is coming up and I can knit the two of you surprises if I want to.”

 

It was Bucky’s turn to frown. “Now wait a minute, we don’t need-”

 

“You can’t have it all your way, Bucky.” Eevie warned, “You can’t insist on getting something for me that I don’t feel we need, and then tell me I’m not allowed to do the same for the two of you. Now pick out your yarn.”

 

Bucky groaned, then laughed, moving and placing a kiss on Eevie’s cheek. “Kind of like it when you stand up to me.” He pointed out.

 

“One of the reasons I do it.” She gave him a cheeky grin, the sparkle back in her eyes again, which pleased him to no end. “That and someone needs to stand up to you, or you’d bully Steve and I around constantly.”

 

“I don’t bully you two!” Bucky protested, “Sure, maybe I push you both a little, but I don’t _bully._ ”

 

“Whatever you say, Mister Barnes-Rogers.” Laura laughed, delighted by the exchange. “We’ve got a very nice white cotton that most people prefer for their counterpanes, Eevie. Come and give it a feel. And every room is brightened up by a white counterpane. There is something just so elegant about them.”

 

Eevie smiled and went to feel the yarn that Laura indicated, while Bucky looked at the rainbow selection before him. He was used to seeing yarn only in white, scarlet, and navy, but it seemed like the Barton’s had expanded their selection a great deal. He felt rather out of his element.

 

Soon enough, the yarns were all selected and purchased, more yarn than Bucky thought they could need in an entire year, but he reasoned that their bed was fairly big, so it would take a great deal of yarn to cover it.

 

Once they were home, he gave Eevie a kiss and told her to go inside and get warm, promising that he would bring in her box of yarn when he was done seeing to the horses. Steve had come out by then, and he stole a quick kiss from Eevie before going to help Bucky, knowing that the other man’s hands would be stiff from the cold. Bucky was glad; it would give him a chance to talk to Steve without Eevie overhearing.

 

Once they got the horses into their comfortable stalls and began to work them over with brushes, Bucky started to talk.

 

“Can you find a reason to go into town tomorrow?”

 

Steve looked over at Bucky, puzzled. “You just came back from town. Forget something?”

 

“A Christmas gift for our wife.”

 

“We don’t usually celebrate Christmas.”

 

“I know that, and you know that, but apparently we never told her, because she has something up her sleeve for the two of us.” Bucky explained, “I would have gotten something while I was there, but it would have spoiled the surprise.”

 

Steve nodded. “I guess it’s fitting, starting new traditions with our new family. I can go to Laura, see what she would recommend as a gift.”

 

“I was thinking maybe some fabric for a new dress, maybe two. Her brown dress is getting pretty worn.” She had been mending more and more small tears in the threadbare fabric lately, and he would have had to be blind not to notice. “One should be yellow, like her best dress.”

 

“Yellow? You’re sure?” Steve asked lightly, causing Bucky to frown.

 

“What’s wrong with yellow?”

 

“Nothing. Just not certain she likes it that much.”

 

“Of course she does. She loves that fancy dress of hers, and she liked the fabric I got for curtains.” Bucky pointed out.

 

“True.” Steve agreed, “All right. Yellow from you, and I’ll pick out something from me. Maybe we should also get her the fabric for a new dress for the Yule dance, so she doesn’t suspect about the others.”

 

Bucky grinned at that. “That’s a fine idea. Make sure to ask Laura how much fabric she’ll need.”

 

“I’ll have her help pick out a pattern, too. I know the only one Eevie has is for her work dresses.” Steve mused. “She’ll need something better than that for her Yule dress.”

 

“Pattern should be easy enough. And all the trim that goes with something like that.”

 

“I’ll find an excuse to go tomorrow, then.” Steve promised.

 

Bucky smiled, already thinking about the expression on Eevie’s face when she unwrapped her gift come Christmas morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not religious. Spiritual, but not religious. But I write characters who are, because in these time periods, they pretty much had to be, or be ostracised from the community. So I started looking up verses and psalms but then... I decided that, as someone who is not a member of the Christian religion, I should not write too much of it. I don't know enough, and I don't want to offend. And I don't want to chase off anyone who is reading this and is also not particularly religious because they think I'm trying to convert them or something. It's not like that, I swear. I'm just writing for the time period and culture that was predominant among settlers in America. Anyway, that's why I glossed over Coulson's talk with our trio.
> 
> Extra update today to make up for the fact that I don't know when next week's update will happen. It will happen! I'm just going to be on vacation, and I will be the sole child wrangler for our Wacky Adventures (do not make my mistake; never let the children outnumber you. Never. They can sense fear, the little savages. And you only have so many arms. I guarantee, it will never be enough for the task at hand) which means updating will be a bit lower on my list of priorities. It will probably hit Wednesday evening, Pacific Time. Updates after that should resume the Monday schedule.


	22. Chapter 22

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Steve gives Eevie a gift.

Steve didn’t bother to come up with an excuse the following day. When Eevie asked him where he was going, he just smiled at her and told the truth. “To town, to fetch a surprise for you.”

 

She blinked, not certain she had heard right. “A surprise? For me?”

 

Bucky scowled, “It was supposed to be a secret, Stevie.”

 

“I don’t need anything-” Eevie started to protest, but Steve shook his head.

 

“Yes, you do, you just don’t know it yet. I didn’t even realize what you needed until Bucky made a comment last night.” He stole a kiss from her rosebud lips, “I’ll be back in a few hours.”

 

“I don’t know that I like surprises.” Eevie warned him with a wry smile, “The last big surprise I got left me with two husbands instead of the one I thought I was getting.”

 

Steve gave her one of his rarer smiles, a sunshine smile, all big heart and merriment and joy, “And look at how that turned out for you.”

 

Eevie smiled in response to that smile, it was impossible not to when Steve smiled like that at her. It made her heart do a funny little ker-thud in her chest and feel a flutter in her belly, and feel a few things a bit further down as well. “All right, you’ve got me. That surprise worked out well. You promise that this one will?”

 

“I promise.” Steve agreed, kissing her again, then snatching a kiss from Bucky’s lips as well, before heading out of the warm little sod house. Eevie then looked to Bucky, who laughed and shook his head.

 

“It is supposed to be a surprise,” He reminded her, “So don’t expect me to tell you what it is.”

 

“If you tell me, I’ll still act surprised.” She suggested, and Bucky laughed.

 

“That’s a good try, but I’m still not talking.”

 

“I didn’t figure you would, but it was still worth a try.” She sighed, before moving to kiss him tenderly, then heading to the kitchen and her dough box, getting ready to do the week’s baking.

 

As she set the dough to rise, she looked towards the front door, knowing that Steve likely hadn’t even reached town by then, but wishing he would arrive home. Not just for the promised surprise, but also because she wanted both him and Bucky present, wanted to be near the two. Snuggled up between them would be even better, she mused as she scrubbed the flour from her hands. The loss of the baby had made her hold more tightly to the two of them, made her want to keep them within her sight as much as possible. She needed their smiles, laughter, and kindness to help her to remember that it wasn’t the end of everything, that life would go on, and there would be another pregnancy someday.

 

 _Someday,_ she told herself firmly. _I just have to be patient. I already have so much to be thankful for._ She began to count her blessings as she worked, but she could hear Missus Callum’s voice in her head once more, reminding her that pain was the salt of life; good roast or even a loaf of bread would certainly look good without salt, but it wouldn’t have any flavor. _Pain serves to remind you during the happy times that you are truly alive._

 

Eevie wasn’t sure she believed that, but she needed every scrap of comfort she could get.

 

She gave the kitchen a good scrub while the bread rose, then went to sit in her chair, picking up her knitting and frowning at the crimson sock she was crafting. She had finished it’s mate the day before and knew she should be able to finish this one while the bread rose, as long as she kept her mind on her task.

 

“You look like you would rather be doing anything in the world other than knitting right now.” Bucky’s tone was amused, and she looked up at him with a crooked smile.

 

“It’s not that, I promise. It’s only that I have so much I need to get done by Christmas.”

 

“I’m sure you’ll manage just fine.” Bucky assured her.

 

“Oh, I’m sure I will. I love knitting, and crochet, and even sewing.” She resumed work on the sock, “Not mending, though I make certain to do a good job at it. But the rest… I always look forward to when I can take the time to sit and work on something.” She grinned over at him, “Even if it’s just socks.”

 

“When are you going to work on those Christmas surprises you were talking about yesterday?”

 

“Oh, I’ll probably drag my rocker into the bedroom and work on them during the day between chores, or in the evenings.”

 

“Steve and I like having you out here for the evenings.” Bucky frowned.

 

“I’ll just be in the other room.” She pointed out.

 

“It won’t be the same.”

 

“I’ll still be able to talk to you, and listen to you read through the doorway.” She pointed out.

 

“True enough.” Bucky frowned, “It won’t be the same, though.”

 

Eevie chuckled, shaking her head slightly, focused on her knitting. “It will be worth it.”

 

“I hope so.” He grumbled, sitting back in his chair. Eevie looked over at him again, unable to keep from grinning, before looking back to her knitting.

 

She had finished the sock and the bread was in the oven when Steve stepped into the house, stomping his feet to get the snow off. Bucky immediately rose and went to him, taking the paper-wrapped parcel from him and setting it aside, before helping him to take off his outerwear. Eevie rose to get the broom so she could sweep away the snow before it formed puddles and warped the wood of the floor by the door.

 

“It’s starting to come down out there.” Steve remarked, rubbing his hands together once he had freed them from his gloves. Eevie looked out the window, and saw that the sky had turned slate gray, and snowflakes were falling fat and heavy.

 

“I hadn’t even noticed. Come and stand by the stove to get warm, and I’ll get you a cup of coffee.” She urged, quickly whisking away the snow that had fallen from Steve’s clothing to the floor.

 

“I have something for you, first.”

 

“No, first you are going to get over by that stove and get warm.” Eevie said firmly as she went to put the broom away.

 

“No arguing.” Bucky agreed, hanging up Steve’s heavy coat. Steve sighed and smiled, and then went to stand by the stove, rubbing his hands together to help warm them while Eevie checked the coffee pot and poured a cup of the dark brew, passing it to Steve, who accepted it gratefully.

 

“While I drink this and warm up, why don’t you go and open your package?” Steve asked her as she stood on her toes to steal a kiss from him.

 

“Are you sure?” Eevie asked hesitantly, though she clearly wanted to.

 

Steve laughed. “Between the coffee and the stove, I’ll get warmed up. Seeing your face when you open that might finish what they’re starting.”

 

Eevie laughed, then kissed Steve again, “And if that doesn’t, then Bucky and I will.” She promised him, before going to get the paper bundle, feeling it as she carried it to the table to unwrap. It felt soft, like fabric. She wondered if it was a new union suit or more flannel for petticoats, but decided it couldn’t be the former, as the size was far too large for a simple union suit. Setting the package down on the table she tugged the twine holding the it closed, slowly loosening the twine until she could set it aside. Then she folded back the paper curiously, finding herself staring in surprise at cards of smooth polished brass shank buttons. She picked up the buttons and stared at them, confused, before she placed them aside, finding what had to be yards of fine white machine-made lace and red velvet ribbon, which were resting atop a pattern for a dress in the latest style. Beneath that was a soft cotton fabric, deep cardinal red, with a pattern on it of white outlines of scalloped-edged medallions, the white outlines and the white designs in the center of each medallion standing out on the fabric in a rather elegant but cheery pattern. Each medallion had one of three designs inside it, also of white on the red background. Eevie looked up at Steve, shocked at the finery and the expense he must have incurred, and confused as to why he had done it.

 

“There’s an annual Yule dance every winter. Christmas for most of us, but there are a few people who don’t celebrate the holiday, and the town wanted to make certain everyone was included, so we just call it Yule.” Bucky explained.

 

“I thought you might like a new dress for the dance.” Steve added, looking a little anxious, unable to tell if her reaction was favorable or not. “Do you like it?”

 

Eevie found herself blinking back tears. “I never dreamed I’d own anything so fine.” She managed to say, earning another brilliant smile from Steve, a smile that made her heart swell and warmth reach right down to her toes. She set everything down and hurried forward so that she could hug him tightly, Steve raising the cup of coffee quickly out of her way and wrapping his other arm around her, holding her close.

 

“Well, I’m glad it meets with approval.” His words made Eevie giggle; and hearing that sound, he couldn’t help but bow his head and kiss her, long and tender. “You’re going to be the prettiest lady in town, once that’s made up.”

 

She flushed at that. “I doubt it, but I’m vain enough to like hearing it.”

 

“Well, it’s the truth. Think either of us would lie to you?” Bucky asked rather cockily. She looked over Steve’s arm at him.

 

“Yes.” She said bluntly, “Particularly if you thought you were protecting me in some way by hiding the truth from me.”

 

“She has you there.” Steve grinned at Bucky, who had the grace to look sheepish.

 

“Yeah, I guess she does.”

 

“Now,” Steve looked back to Eevie, “I have one more thing for you.”

 

Eevie’s eyes widened, “Steve, the dress is already too much-”

 

“-I didn’t buy it.” He stopped her with a grin, before reaching into his breast pocket and pulling out a folded envelope. “But I did pick it up. Mail came in after you two left town yesterday.”

 

“Oh!” Eevie said, absolutely delighted as she took the letter, checking the return address on it. “A letter from Lydia!”

 

“And just like that, the dress is forgotten.” Bucky laughed, making Eevie flush darker.

 

“It isn’t,” She protested, “I-”

 

“Teasing.” Steve reminded her, before placing a kiss atop her head. “Now what’s for dinner? I’m hungry as a pack of wolves.”

 

“You still have an hour to wait.” Eevie told him apologetically. “I can fry up an egg quickly, or there’s fresh bread and preserves.”

 

“A fried egg on a slice of hot buttered toast would be perfect.” Steve lit up a bit at the thought.

 

She stood on her tiptoes and stole a kiss. “Then a fried egg on a slice of hot buttered toast it shall be.” She drew away from Steve and went to steal a kiss from Bucky. “Would you like some as well?”

 

“I’d love some. Here, I’ll put your letter away for you.” He murmured, holding out his hand. Eevie carefully placed the missive in it, before stealing another kiss.

 

“Thank you, sir.” She grinned at him, before turning to the stove and reaching for a skillet, so happy she could burst. It was strange to feel so after such a loss, she mused as she heated up the skillet for the eggs, but it only went to show that life went on. There would still be some grief, but… It would be tempered by the joys.

 

It wasn’t quite a fair exchange, not in her mind, but it was a tolerable one that she could live with, she decided.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Want to show a little more fluff, and some healing.
> 
> The fabric for Eevie's dress is a Civil War era reproduction print I found. It's gorgeous. It, and many other things, can be found on the Pinterest board I made for the story, as well as character models, etc. (Eevie's face model is Mackenzie Foy, for instance.) Just google "Requiem for Babel" and it is the second link, with the fic being the first. Fair warning, there are spoilers in the research pins, but if you want to look at pretty fabric swatches and things, those are there too.
> 
> Sorry this chapter was a little late. Vacation > Posting schedule. Hoping that next week's chapter will be up as usual on Monday despite still being on Vacay, because with how everything has lined up, that will be the Christmas chapter and posting the Christmas Chapter on Christmas Eve just makes me giggle (no, that was not planned in the slightest, but damn, I'm glad it worked out that way.)


	23. Chapter 23

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a winter celebration

For the next month and a half, every minute that Eevie didn’t spend cooking or tending to the house was spent carefully sewing her dress or working on her Christmas gifts for Steve and Bucky. Neither man was pleased with the time Eevie spent seated in Becca’s old room, her rocker carried in so that she could sit just inside the door with the yellow curtain shielding her from their view. She still listened as either Bucky or Steve read aloud from the paper in the evenings, and contributed to conversations; the only thing they couldn’t do was _see_ her, and for some reason that made both men deeply uncomfortable.

 

Then came the December evening when Eevie asked for her rocker to be brought back out into the main room, and when she settled into it, she picked up soft white cotton yarn instead of red and white fabric or brightly colored worsteds.

 

Steve and Bucky exchanged a look over Eevie’s head, Bucky raising a brow at Steve, who nodded.

 

“Is that the counterpane Bucky was telling me about?” Steve asked casually after a few minutes of watching her.

 

“It is."

 

“Is your dress for the dance finished?” He asked. “There’s only three days until Christmas Eve.”

 

Eevie looked up at him and smiled. “It is, but you don’t get to see it until the night of the dance.”

 

Bucky chuckled, and Steve smiled right back at Eevie. “All right, you want it to be a surprise, we’ll be surprised.” He promised her. “And I take it you’re done making your gifts?”

 

“I am.” She agreed, looking back down at the large white scallop she was knitting; the first of many. “Since I finished all my other projects, I decided it was time for something more challenging, so… Time to start work on the counterpane.”

 

“Challenging enough that you’re willing to surrender, at least for the night?” Steve asked her. She looked over at him, then to Bucky, finding that both of her were giving her warm looks that told her very clearly what their intentions were.

 

Eevie laughed, “I don’t mind at all.” She said as she set finished the scallop and set her knitting aside. They hadn’t come together as much as they had before their loss; only a handful of times since. The first time they had come together after their loss, Steve and Bucky had needed to be coaxed into it and then had treated her as if she might break under their caresses at any minute. They seemed far more at ease touching one another than touching her, and it was frustrating.

 

Hopefully, that would end tonight.

 

She stood and found herself stepping right into Steve’s arms. He bowed his head and nuzzled her neck, while Bucky prowled over, hooking a hand around her waist and placing a soft kiss against her temple.

 

“I’m not going to break.” She murmured. Both men’s arms tightened almost imperceptibly.

 

“You keep saying that, but I’m afraid you will.” Bucky said quietly.

 

“I’m made of sterner stuff than that. I need the two of you to stop handling me like I’m a piece of fine china.” She reached up with both hands, cupping Steve’s cheek with one, Bucky’s with the other, looking between the two of them seriously, though she let the love and tenderness show. “It won’t be how it was, I know that, but I need us to at least _try._ ”

 

Steve leaned forward, pressing his forehead against hers. “We can try.” He promised her, “But seeing you like that… It scared the hell out of me, sweetheart. You weren’t broken, but close to it. I never want to see you like that again. Seeing you hurt like that…”

 

“I’m still hurting.” She protested. “I need you. _Both_ of you. And I need to love you and be loved by you, the way it used to be. Before the two of you were afraid of me breaking.”

 

“You heard the lady, Stevie.” Bucky had a wry smile on his face, “Best to give her what she wants.”

 

“Happy spouse, happy house.” Eevie grinned over at Bucky, “Now come to bed with me. The both of you.”

 

Steve kissed her, quick and full of promise, before he suddenly scooped her up in his arms, earning a yelp of surprise. Then he looked to Bucky with a grin, “You coming?”

 

“Not yet, but I intend to.” Bucky drawled, causing Eevie to flush, then laugh when she realized what he meant.

 

“We’ll get you there, I promise.” She told him as Steve carried her from the room and through the yellow curtain, into their bedroom.

 

~*~

 

The day of the Yule dance, they all took special care to prepare themselves. They took baths directly after dinner, Eevie taking the time to wash out her long russet hair. Afterwards, she sat by the stove to dry it, and Steve sat behind her, carefully combing out the silken strands as had become their habit. He enjoyed combing out her hair every night as they prepared for bed, and she enjoyed letting him do it. It was an intimate activity that relaxed them both, though today was not a day for relaxing.

 

After Eevie’s hair had dried, she carefully braided it into a coronet atop her head, critical of the reflection in the mirror, until Bucky came up behind her and placed his hands on her hips and a kiss on her neck.

 

“You’re worrying too much.” He chided gently, looking up and meeting her gaze in the mirror. “You’re already beautiful, the rest is just window dressing.”

 

She smiled at him. “I think you flatter me a bit too much, my love.”

 

“Not enough.” He countered. “What’s wrong? You don’t take this much care getting ready for church.”

 

Eevie flushed, embarrassed and feeling rather silly. “It’s a party.” She said quietly.

 

“Of course it’s a party.” Bucky was frowning, before realization dawned. “You’ve never been to a real party, have you? Is that what this is about?”

 

“No, I haven’t, and that’s some of it.” Eevie reluctantly confessed, “I’m going to be wearing the finest thing I’ve ever owned, ever dreamed of owning, and… I want to look pretty. For you and Steve, of course, but for me as well. Some days, I don’t feel particularly pretty, but… I want to feel pretty tonight. Be pretty.”

 

“Darlin’, you are so much more than just ‘pretty’.” Bucky pointed out, “Sure, you’re pretty, but you’re also feisty, and tenacious, and you put up with the both of us. You love us, and we love you. I wish I could show you how you looked through my eyes, because I’m not lying. You’re beautiful, and every day I wake up and see your face on the pillow next to mine… That’s a day that’s worth living.”

 

“And what about me?” Steve drawled, and Bucky grinned, looking over his shoulder at Steve.

 

“You know that you’re included in that. But this is about our wife, not you.”

 

“I know.” Steve smiled over at the two, “I just have to give you a bit of grief is all. But he’s right, sweetheart. You’re beautiful. And we won’t have eyes for anyone but you, even if you wore nothing but a flour sack.”

 

Eevie grinned at that. “I know. Though I don’t think you like the flour sacks much, since you keep taking them off of me.” She teased, due to the fact that her nightgowns were made from old flour sacks.

 

“See?” Bucky asked rather triumphantly, before kissing the side of her head, careful not to muss her hair. “You go ahead and finish prettying yourself up while Steve and I get ready.”

 

“I’m not getting dressed until you two are finished.” Eevie warned.

 

“We’ve seen it hanging in the chifforobe.” Steve pointed out.

 

“But you haven’t seen it on me, and you’re not going to until I am ready.” Eevie said firmly.

 

“You heard the lady.” Bucky chuckled as he released Eevie and went back to getting ready. Once he and Steve were dressed and had left the room, Eevie went to the chifforobe to fetch her dress and the underpinnings that went with it.

 

She had worked long and hard over the dress and had even taken it over to Becca’s one day for a final fitting and to make certain the hem was straight. Eevie had been so nervous about ruining the beautiful fabric with a wrong snip of the scissors or an uneven seam, but seeing herself in the dress at Becca’s, she had been dumbfounded by how something so fine could have come from her needle.

 

The skirt was in two parts; the underskirt with the three ruffles, each one trimmed in red velvet ribbon and white lace. The overskirt was gathered up at the sides and draped fetchingly in the front, and in the back, where there was a good-sized bustle. The bodice was tight and close fitting, coming to a gentle point in the front waist, the gleaming brass buttons closely spaced and running up the front of the fitted garment. Hours and hours of work had gone into each of the buttonholes, and then the bodice was on properly, she was still a little stunned at the transformation from plain and often slightly bedraggled farmwife to a polished young lady. She tugged at the sleeves, which were mostly tight save for slight puffs at the shoulders, the cuffs of the sleeves having three bands of the red satin ribbon around the wrists and trimmed with lace, just as the collar of the dress was.

 

She stared at her reflection in the mirror and couldn’t help but grin at the sight of herself. Oh, she looked fine in her Sunday best, but this… This flattered her far more than the mustard yellow did, in her opinion. She took a breath to steady her nerves, before stepping from the bedroom.

 

Before the curtain could fall closed behind her, Steve and Bucky turned from their quiet conversation by the stove so they could see her. Bucky’s eyes widened, and he let out a low whistle, making Eevie blush. Steve’s response was less vocal, but she appreciated it just as much; seeing the easing around his eyes and mouth, the tenderness that crept over his face when he looked at her.

 

“I’d say we’re looking at the finest lady in all Nebraska.” Bucky grinned as he sauntered over to Eevie, who laughed and swatted at him.

 

“I am not!”

 

“Well _I_ think so. What do you say, Stevie?” Bucky looked over at Steve, who had a tender little smile on his lips.

 

“I’ve heard people say that fine feathers make a fine bird, but in this case, I’d say it makes a very fine bird to make feathers like that.” He said quietly. Eevie lit up at the praised, and Bucky couldn’t help but smile.

 

“He’s saying what we both think. He’s just better with words than I am.” Bucky told her, making Eevie giggle.

 

“I love you both so much.” She said as Steve strode over to join Bucky at her side. She wrapped an arm around Steve and the other around Bucky, while each man wrapped an arm around her and the other around one another. Steve kissed her first, then Bucky, and then the two kissed each other, before taking turns kissing her once more. The three shared long and tender kisses for some time, until the kisses started to grow a bit more heated, more urgent, which was when Eevie started to pull away. “You two have to behave. We have to leave for the dance soon.”

 

“We still have enough time to get up to a little mischief.” Bucky reasoned, and Steve sighed.

 

“No, we don’t. Behave.” Steve said firmly. He released Eevie reluctantly, “We should let you get the food out of the oven.”

 

“I’ll be just a few moments.” Eevie promised, going to the oven and carefully removing the big milk pan of baked beans she had prepared for the dance supper, placing it on the counter to join the vinegar pie that she had made as well. Her offerings would join those of nearly every woman who was attending, and she had been told by Jane Odinson at church two weeks previously that there was usually an entire roasted pig and quarter of a beef for everyone to partake of in addition to what was brought it.

 

It sounded positively decadent to Eevie.

 

“I’ll get the team and the sleigh ready.” Steve said, going to start bundling up to brave the outdoors. It was cold, and the snow was in tall drifts, but the skies were clear, which meant that there would indeed be a dance that night for everyone who wished to brave the cold to head into town.

 

“Come on, darlin’. Let’s get you bundled up.” Bucky said as he gathered up her wraps so he could warm them by the fire before she put them on.

 

“I can manage.” She told him, but he shook his head.

 

“Just because you can, doesn’t mean I’m going to let you.” He said pointedly, holding her coat up by the stove. She sighed and took her gloves, tugging them on before picking up her hood, putting it on but being careful of her hair, before wrapping a muffler (an old and worn one of Steve’s) around her neck and pulling it up so that it would cover the lower half of her face. Once the long ends were crossed over her chest, Bucky helped her put on her jacket, making certain it was buttoned up snugly, and then wrapped the thick shawl that had come from Vermont over her head and shoulders.

 

“This is a little bit ridiculous.” Eevie laughed as Bucky picked up the worn quilt that would wrap around them once they were in the sleigh.

 

“No, it is not.” Bucky countered as he went to bank the fire and then get his own outerwear on.

 

When Steve brought the sleigh around to the front of the house, Bucky helped Eevie get into it before passing her the covered pan of beans to carry on her lap. He then took his seat on her other side so that he and Steve flanked her. The two men made certain that the lap rugs covered them snugly, while Bucky wrapped the quilt around Eevie and himself; it wasn’t quite big enough to wrap all three of them in, so he and Steve had decided that the passenger would wrap up with Eevie and the driver would just have to bear the cold.

 

Then they were off to town, watching the sun begin to set over the snow-covered prairie as they drove. Eevie snuggled up against Bucky and her and Steve told her about the Yule dances that had gone before, about the first one that had just been a gathering of neighbors eager to escape the winter doldrums and share fellowship with people other than those they were cooped up with day after day in their claim shanties and sod homes. They explained how the town founders—themselves included—had come together and decided that everyone would contribute a small amount each year for both the Yule dance and the annual spring festival they had shortly after all the planting and the hardest work of spring was completed. For the Yule dance there was always the roasted pig—and beef for those who could not eat pork—and in the spring there was always ice cream and icy cold lemonade in addition to dancing, horse racing, and firecrackers. It gave them something to look forward to twice a year.

 

Eevie was already looking forward to the spring festival.

 

When they arrived at the church, Steve stopped the sleigh in front of the church building and let Eevie and Bucky out. Then he drove the sleigh a little way away where he would unhitch the horses and cover them with their own blankets before joining them.

 

Eevie carried the pan of baked beans into the church, the still warm pan helping to keep her gloved hands warm, just as it had kept her lap warm the entire drive into town. Bucky carried the vinegar pie, which was taken from his hands almost as soon as he entered the building.

 

“I will take that, Missus Barnes-Rogers,” A mountain of a man with long golden hair said, reaching for the pan of beans that Eevie held. She gave it over gratefully.

 

“Thank you, Mister Odinson.” Eevie said, beginning to tug off her gloves so that she could put them in her coat pockets.

 

“Here, let me help you, darlin’.” Bucky said, tucking his own gloves into his pocket before he reached for Eevie, who batted his hands away.

 

“Mind your own wraps!” She told him, taking off her shawl and folding it, “Where can we put our things?”

 

“On the table in the corner.” The elder of the Odinson brothers said as he gestured with his elbow, before turning and carrying the pan of beans flavored with generous amounts of salt pork and molasses to one of the two long tables that ran nearly the entire length of the church. The younger of the two brothers was setting the pie down on the other table, clearly flirting outrageously with Darcy Lewis.

 

Eevie looked away from the sight, amused, while she removed her wraps, setting them in a neatly folded stack on the table, taking Bucky’s and folding them, placing them atop hers. When Steve entered, blowing on his gloved hands to try and warm them, Eevie hurried towards him to help him remove his heavy overcoat, gloves, muffler, and hat, earning a pleased smile from Steve before she carried them to place them atop hers and Bucky’s wraps, knowing full well that soon their outerwear would be buried beneath that of those who had not yet arrived.

 

That was when May Parker hurried over to her.

 

“Did you bring an apron?” She asked Eevie, who paused, a little bewildered.

 

“Was I supposed to?”

 

“Yes, but I’m not surprised you didn’t know. Your husbands wouldn’t have thought of it, and it’s such second nature I never thought of telling you to bring one. We need you to help with the washing up. There isn’t enough room for everyone to eat all at once, so we take it in shifts. We tend to eat last and then do the last of the dishes while the men clear the tables away.” May said, linking arms with Eevie and leading her to the back of the church, where there was another long table running crosswise, a row of basins filled with warm, soapy water resting upon it.

 

“Well, I have plenty of practice in doing a pile of dishes quickly and well.” Eevie smiled ruefully.

 

“That’s right, you came from an orphanage, didn’t you?” May asked, releasing Eevie’s arm.

 

“I did.” Eevie stopped herself from calling May ma’am. Even though she had been married and considered an adult for almost a full five months, sometimes she still had to remind herself of the fact.

 

“Then it’s a good thing we have you helping. Now, let’s see if we can find you an apron so you won’t get spots on that pretty dress. Did Becca help you with it?”

 

“Only the hem.”

 

“It’s a fine example of your skill.” May smiled at her, before looking to another one of the women, “Laura, did you bring a spare apron?”

 

“I always do. Someone is always forgetting one.” Laura smiled over at Eevie, “Or, in this case, we forget to tell the newest member of our community that an apron would be a necessary item to bring with, I’m assuming.”

 

“You’re assuming right.” Eevie said as Laura passed her an apron.

 

“That’s the fabric Steve picked out for you, isn’t it?” Laura asked as Eevie put on the apron, “Oh, I knew it would look fine with the pattern he bought with it but seeing it all put together is much better than just sitting and imagining what it would look like. And it brings out the roses in your cheeks, too.” Laura said as more people entered the church, keeping up a friendly spate of chatter as the first group were seated to eat. Eevie could see Bucky and Steve looking at her, clearly displeased that they could not dine with her, but she smiled at them and turned her attention back to Laura’s prattle, which bloomed into a conversation as May Parker, Constance Wilson, and others, before the conversation splintered and Eevie found herself engrossed in talk with Darcy Lewis, who was working at the washbasin beside the one Eevie was using.

 

There seemed to be nothing but a great washing of plates and bustle of people as dishes were taken away and then returned, cleaned, to the tables, for use once more. When at last everyone had eaten their fill and it was time for the ladies of the church to take their turn, Eevie was relieved to sit and fill her plate with all the delicious things that remained; much of it was gone, but a few dishes had been held back so that the women had something to try.

 

“Try this.” Jane Odinson told Eevie, passing a jar to her. A sweet and tangy spicy smell assaulted Eevie’s nose, and she looked at the reddish-purple stringy mass in confusion.

 

“Um?”

 

“It’s rødkål.” Jane gave Eevie a smile, “Loki makes it. It’s a sweet pickled red cabbage with spices. It’s really quite good, and he said it’s a traditional part of the holiday meal.”

 

“Oh.” Eevie said quietly, before serving herself some of the cabbage. Once her plate was filled with food she began to eat quickly, still talking to Darcy and now to Jane as well. When she hesitantly tried her first bite of the cabbage, her eyes widened, and she looked down at it in surprise.

 

“It’s really good.” Darcy grinned at her, “I didn’t believe it either, the first time Jane had me try it.”

 

“I’ll have to give my compliments to Mister Odinson.” Eevie managed after hastily swallowing, “I’ve never had anything quite like it, but it’s good.”

 

“Haven’t you had pickled cabbage before? Sauerkraut?” Jane asked, surprised. Eevie shook her head ‘no’.

 

“Not ever. Sauerkraut is different from the rødkål?”

 

“Oh yes.” Jane went on to tell Eevie some of the differences between the two, as well as to explain about her forays into trying to cook the dishes that Thor and Loki had grown up eating in their mother’s kitchen in Norway, and about how awful they had kept coming out until Loki had declared that whenever they wanted traditional food, he would be the one to provide it.

 

All in all, it was a merry meal, and by the time the last of dishes were cleared away, scrubbed clean, and the wash water emptied out behind the church the tables had been cleared away as well, and the room seemed echoing and empty. The place at the back of the church where the pulpit normally stood was now home to several chairs, and Sam Wilson—Constance’s husband—was removing a fiddle from its case while several others brought out instruments and moved to join him.

 

Eevie had barely gotten her apron off and returned to Laura when Bucky swept up to her. “I get the first dance.” He grinned at her, “Then Steve, then Steve and I, and we’ll have to see how it goes from there.”

 

Eevie couldn’t help but laugh. “I have no complaints.” She assured him.

 

The remainder of the night passed in a whirl of laughter and dancing; the men of Babel outnumbered the women, so that the ladies never had to sit out a dance unless they insisted. Eevie danced with her husbands, Clint Barton, both Thor and Loki Odinson, Mister Selvig, and quite a few others—including Reverend Coulson himself, who also seemed a popular figure upon the dancefloor.

 

By the time the festivities came to an end, Eevie was exhausted, but unable to keep the smile from her face as Steve and Bucky bundled her up and got her put between them in the sleigh. The sky was clear that night, and on the ride back, she and Steve cuddled together, Steve pointing out constellations to her, the two happy to watch the skies together.

 

When they saw a star shooting across the sky and Steve whispered to her to make a wish, Eevie found herself at a loss. Then she smiled and closed her eyes, wishing that the love and joy she had felt that night would never fade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Have a happy winter holiday season. If you do not observe a winter holiday, just have a great day, ok?
> 
> Note: rødkål is Danish, not Norwegian, and it sounds kind of weird, but it is delicious. It's a traditional Christmas dish, according to my great-aunts.


	24. Chapter 24

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which our trio shares a cozy Christmas morning.

The following morning, Eevie woke first, and she couldn’t help but smile, knowing that it was Christmas morning and there were gifts to bestow upon Steve and Bucky. She was facing Steve, and she moved to place a kiss on his chin, then his shoulder, earning a sleepy grumble.

 

“It’s Christmas.” She murmured.

 

“It’s early.” He countered, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her close, finding resistance due to the fact that Bucky also had an arm wrapped around her waist. “Don’t wake Bucky.” Steve murmured against her ear, before giving it a little nip. “He’ll want to get out of bed.”

 

Eevie tried to stifle her giggle and was only marginally successful in doing so. “I assume you have other plans for Christmas morning?”

 

“A few.” He agreed, “And none of them involve getting out of bed.” He moved his arm from around her waist so he could caress down her thigh.

 

“I think I like some of these plans.” Eevie said a little breathlessly, wrapping an arm around Steve and placing soft kisses on his neck.

 

“Only some?” He sounded amused.

 

“Well, I do want to get out of bed eventually.” She said cheekily, which earned a throaty chuckle from Steve. He shifted so that he could kiss her, long and deep and oh so tender.

 

“I love you, Eevie.” He breathed against her lips after indulging in several minutes of tender kisses and caresses.

 

“And I love you, Steve.” She breathed back, grinning when she felt the kiss on the back of her neck. “And you too, Bucky.”

 

“Was going to ask what I needed to do to get in on this.” He murmured, voice gravelly from sleep, “Love you too. Both of you.”

 

“Love you too, Buck.” Steve murmured, “Until the end of the line.”

 

“Until the end of the line.” Bucky echoed. “And you,” He tightened his arm slightly around Eevie’s waist, “Forever and always.”

 

“Forever and always.” Eevie echoed, placing her hand on the arm he had curled possessively around his waist. “Steve has a few ideas on how to spend our morning. Might delay Christmas a bit, though.”

 

“More’n a bit, if it’s what I’m thinking.” Bucky chuckled, still sounding a bit sleepy. “Why don’t the two of you show me all about these ideas of his?”

 

“With pleasure.” Steve said as he ran his hand up Bucky’s arm.

 

It was some time before they left their bed, and when they did it was with reluctance. All three of them would have preferred to spend a lazy day in bed together, but chores still needed to be done and meals needed to be made; as much as they would have liked to, it was not possible to live on love alone.

 

When Steve and Bucky came in with the milk pails and the eggs (it had been decided that they would be the ones to brave the cold for the few eggs the hens produced in the winter months instead of Eevie) it was to the pungent scent of coffee, the thicker scent of fried sausage cakes, and the light, barely there scent of pancakes. They also found that there were slightly misshapen, squashed looking parcels wrapped up in brown paper and tied with twine placed atop their plates.

 

“So, I take it you wanted to do presents before breakfast, then?” Bucky drawled.

 

“Unless you had objections.” Eevie grinned over her shoulder at him as she flipped pancakes onto the serving plate expertly, quickly spreading them with butter and maple sugar while they were still piping hot, quickly pouring more batter into her skillet to make the next batch of pancakes to add to the three stacks she had growing on the serving plate keeping warm on the back of the stove while the pancakes cooked and sausage fried.

 

“No objections here.” Bucky said as Steve began to strain the milk into the pans for Eevie.

 

“None here.” Steve said placidly, “But we still need to get your presents.”

 

Eevie paused in her cooking, looking startled. “My presents?”

 

“Didn’t think we’d work out some sort of surprise for you?” Steve looked up at her with a smile, “Guess you don’t know us too well yet.”

 

“But… I thought the dress…?” She asked, quickly turning her attention back to the stove and the red-eye gravy she was whipping up to go with the sausage cakes.

 

“Your Yule dress was something else entirely.” Bucky said, “And honestly, that one was all Steve. I like seeing you in your yellow so much, I never thought you might want a new one.”

 

Eevie was glad that her back was to them, so they couldn’t see her wince at the mention of her yellow dress. The sooner she relegated that to the rag bag, the better. “Well,” She managed to keep her tone light, “I’m glad for the new dress. The yellow is getting a bit shabby.”

 

“Is it?” Bucky asked, surprised.

 

“It is.” Steve said for her, taking the empty milk pails to be scalded and set aside for the evening milking. “Go and get her gifts, I’ll finish with wiping the eggs.”

 

“And be quick, breakfast is just about ready.” Eevie called as Bucky left the house for the tool shed, where they had hidden the packages for Eevie, which he and Steve had agreed was an ideal place to hide the gifts.

 

When he returned to the house and got out of his coat, muffler, and cap, Eevie was beginning to place food on the table.

 

“Here you go, darlin’.” Bucky said, waiting for her to put the last platter on the table before offering the two parcels wrapped in brown paper and twine to her.

 

“Thank you.” Eevie smiled at him as she took the parcels, then settled into her seat. “Go ahead and open yours.” She urged the two of them, wanting to see their reactions to her simple gifts.

 

Steve laughed, “Better to give than to receive?” He asked as he began to unfasten the twine holding the larger of his two packages shut.

 

“Something like that.” She agreed cheerfully, watching as he folded back the paper to reveal a fine cable knit sweater in green yarn. He let out a low whistle, lifting up the garment to better inspect it.

 

“You are very skilled with your knitting needles.” Bucky said as he revealed a similar sweater, though his was a rich burgundy.

 

“Thank you.” She bit her lip, “Do you like them?”

 

“This is perfect.” Steve assured her, “It’s going to make it easier to go out and do the chores in the cold.”

 

“Amen to that. Our coats might be warm, but the wind still cuts through them if we’re out in it too long.” Bucky said, before smiling over at Eevie. “These are perfect.”

 

“There’s more.” She pointed out, face glowing with excitement. Bucky laughed, opening his other package from her, to find a cap and long muffler made of the same maroon as his, while Steve’s were of the same green as his sweater. “More practicality.” He smiled at her again, “Thank you, darlin’.”

 

“Thank you.” Steve echoed, “Now open yours.” He urged, and Eevie laughed, before looking at the two packages before her and opening the one on the top. When she saw the mauve calico patterned with lighter flowers and darker vines she was delighted. “This is wonderful, thank you.”

 

“Sorry I couldn’t have had it made up for you, and that you’ll have to do all the work on it,” Steve said, “But I figured you’d prefer that.”

 

“And it makes it more of a surprise.” Bucky agreed, grinning in anticipation, knowing that she would like his even more, with how she liked yellow. “Go on and open mine next.” He urged. Eevie laughed and grinned up at him, before opening the other parcel.

 

When she opened it, she froze slightly, and he frowned to see that her smile looked forced. She bit her lip a moment, before saying, “Thank you, Bucky. This was very thoughtful.”

 

He was confused, and a little hurt. “What’s wrong?”

 

“Nothing!” She hastened to assure him, “It’s very nice, and thank you for-”

 

He was scowling now. “No, something is wrong, and we’re not getting up from this table until you say what it is.”

 

Eevie’s eyes widened slightly, and she bit her lower lip. “It’s nothing worth mentioning Bucky, I swear-”

 

“I think,” Steve said slowly, “That she doesn’t like the color yellow.” Steve looked to Eevie, “That’s it, isn’t it?”

 

Eevie sighed, sagging in her chair slightly, defeated. “I hate it.” She confessed, “At least I did. I like it a little better now, since I’ve been trying to like it for Bucky’s sake.”

 

Bucky was staring at her as if she had grown a second head. “I was trying to like it because I thought you liked it. That yellow dress of yours-”

 

“-Was pulled out of a missionary barrel and given to me so that I had a Sunday best that wouldn’t shame you, considering how shabby the rest of my things were.” She said quietly, “It was the only thing the Church had that would fit me with the fewest alterations.”

 

“But… The curtains…” Bucky was still stunned by the revelation, “I thought you liked yellow! You never said anything to show you didn’t!”

 

Steve started to laugh then, at the absolute absurdity of the situation. Eevie and Bucky stared at him.

 

“The two of you,” Steve managed to say between roars of laughter, “Acting like you’re pleased by a color you both dislike, to make the other one happy, because you each thinks the other likes it…”

 

Eevie bit her lips together. When it was said like that, it did sound ridiculous. She let out a little snort, then a giggle, and then she was laughing as well, Bucky following suit.

 

When the laughter finally died down, Bucky was wiping tears of mirth from his eyes. “All right,” He said, “No more yellow in the future. I’ll go into town and get you something better-”

 

“-This is fine, really.” Eevie tried to assure, wiping away her own tears of mirth, “But in the future? No more yellow.”

 

“No more yellow.” Steve and Bucky both agreed.

 

“Becca is going to laugh herself sick when I tell her about this at Christmas dinner tonight.” Steve pointed out.

 

Bucky groaned. “Really? You’re going to do that to us?”

 

“Oh, let him. It’s funny and will make a good story for the children someday.” Eevie protested, both Steve and Bucky looked to her with sudden interest at her words. She shook her head, quickly realizing what those words might have implied.

 

“Not yet, but soon enough, I’m sure.” She said quietly.

 

“Soon enough.” Steve agreed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cute fluff!
> 
> Bucky had to learn about the yellow eventually. It was a fun thing to giggle over until now, though.
> 
> Happy New Year everyone! Be safe and have fun!


	25. Chapter 25

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are two reasons to celebrate.

The problem was that ‘soon enough’ seemed to be taking its sweet time to arrive. By the time Bucky’s birthday rolled around in March there still was not any good news to be shared, though Becca was getting to be near her time. If Eevie were a different woman, the sight of Becca’s belly—gently rounded from the child growing inside her—might make her bitter or hateful, Eevie mused as she cleaned up the dinner dishes from the birthday celebration that Becca and Isaac had come to share in. There were no gifts exchanged, but Eevie made Bucky a special dinner—chicken pie, which came out wonderfully this time—and a cake that was almost completely devoured before everyone was finished with it. Becca herself managed three slices, and when Bucky had given her a sidelong look, Eevie had reached out to swat at his arm.

 

“She’s eating for two. Let her have her cake.” She chided. Bucky grinned sheepishly at that.

 

“Keep forgetting, though I should know better by now.” He explained, before apologizing to his sister.

 

After dishes were done, they visited for a while longer, before Isaac helped Becca from Eevie’s rocker and then from the house so they could start their buggy ride home.

 

“They gone?” Bucky asked in a stage whisper once they heard the sounds of the buggy driving away from the house.

 

“They’re gone,” Eevie agreed, looking to him curiously, “Why?”

 

He moved to scoop her up, earning a squeal of surprise, followed by a laugh from Eevie. “Just means I can finally get my present, is all.” Bucky said cheerfully, “Come on into the bedroom with us, Stevie.”

 

“That’s not exactly a present.” Steve pointed out, though he was happy to follow Bucky into the bedroom.

 

“We do it all the time.” Eevie agreed as Bucky set her down on her feet beside the bed.

 

“No,” Bucky smiled at the two most important people in his life, “Every time we come together, it’s a gift the two of you give me. One I treasure above all others.”

 

Eevie’s smile softened, and she stood on her toes while looping an arm up around his neck, pulling him down for a gentle kiss.

 

“Sap.” Steve said, moving to wrap his arms around Bucky and Eevie both, nuzzling Bucky’s neck.

 

“Might be sappy, but it’s true.” Bucky pointed out when he was done kissing Eevie, moving to kiss Steve.

 

“I love you, James Buchanan Barnes. Until the end of the line.” Steve murmured finally.

 

“And I love you, until the end of the line.” Bucky agreed, before looking to Eevie, “And you for forever and always.”

 

“Forever and always.” Eevie agreed with a smile, sealing the proclamation of love with a kiss for each man.

 

~*~

 

Bucky’s birthday was at the start of the planting season, which meant that the longer days were filled with almost nothing but work. Becca came and taught Eevie how to make seed starts in trays in along the windowsills, kept safe indoors as they grew to a size that would help them to more easily survive the unpredictable weather of Nebraska springtime. Eevie had been shocked to find that the warm weather that began in February was not a sign the spring had finally arrived; February in Nebraska could be mild and even temperate, but March could be a wild, wailing thing. In Nebraska the old adage was true; March would come in like a lion, but (hopefully) go out like a lamb.

 

As March gave way to April the snow melted and the ground thawed enough for planting. The first ground broken was that for Eevie’s kitchen garden, and then Steve and Bucky went to work plowing the fields, Eevie stopping work to bring them a jug of cold ginger water (the recipe one of the many that Becca had given her) at ten and two every day that they worked the fields. Their stomachs bore the ginger water better than plain cold water, which could have made them ill if they had drunk too much of it after working so hard. She was finding that her own faint queasiness and exhaustion from the unaccustomed long days was eased a bit by the ginger water.

 

The early April morning that she realized that her constant level of nausea was not related to exhaustion she had gone perfectly still, trying to count the weeks in her mind.

 

The almanack. She had to check the almanack, and then see Constance to be certain.

 

At breakfast she gave Steve and Bucky an excuse that she might need to go and see Becca that morning, that she would hitch up Maybelle and drive herself if it was necessary, and that she would leave them a pot of soup on the back of the stove for dinner. While neither man liked the thought, they knew that neither of them could be spared to do the driving for her.

 

As soon as breakfast was finished and the two had gone out with a jug of ginger water and an admonition not to drink all of it before it was time, she hurried to the shelf the almanack was kept on and flipped through the pages, looking at the calendar. She had missed not one but three monthlies. _Three._ How had she missed three? She couldn’t help but stare at the calendar, completely bewildered, before quickly putting it away and going to hitch Maybelle up to the farm wagon. She needed to see Constance.

 

When she drew Maybelle to a halt in front of the Wilson Homestead, Constance was stepping outside, drying her hands on her apron.

 

“Missus Barnes-Rogers, good to see you.” She called to Eevie, “Since I know everyone is still busy with planting, I take it this isn’t a purely social call?”

 

“I’m afraid it isn’t.” Eevie said apologetically as she got down from the seat of the wagon, “Is this a bad time?”

 

“Not at all. Come on inside and I’ll pour us both some ginger switchel. It’ll be good for your stomach.” Constance promised. Eevie gave her a relieved grin.

 

“I’ve been drinking some of it when I make it for Bucky and Steve. It helps.” Eevie confessed.

 

“Of course it does. I recommend keeping some on hand as long as the nausea lasts.” Constance stepped aside to let Eevie into the weathered wooden house, where Eevie found herself stared at by three dark-eyed children. The girls were around ten; either twins or so close in age that they might as well have been, while their younger brother looked to be about five. Eevie had seen them at Church before, of course, and at the Yule dance, but had never been introduced.

 

“Hello,” Eevie smiled at the children

 

“Hello.” One of the girls said quietly.

 

“Rachel, finish with sweeping. Leah, you go and make up the beds. Evelyn, honey, we’ll go into my room, if that’s all right.”

 

“Eevie, please, and that’s more than fine.”

 

“Does it bother you to be Evelyn?”

 

“Not terribly.”

 

“Do you mind if I call you that? My sister’s pet name was Evie, you see, and it’s still hard for me to say it, even though I know it shouldn’t, that you’re two completely different people.”

 

“I had no idea,” Eevie was surprised at the confidence Constance had taken her into, but understood the reasoning behind it, “Of course you can call me Evelyn, if you’re more comfortable with that. I just hear Evelyn and start looking around to see what trouble I’m in.”

 

Constance laughed at that as she shut the bedroom door firmly behind them to keep the children out.

 

~*~

 

Eevie made it home before it was time to serve dinner, and the first thing she did was to check on the pork and vegetable soup to see how it was coming along. Constance had stressed the importance of making sure she ate, no matter how poorly she felt. It made Eevie feel guilty to think on the past two weeks when she had thought it was only exhaustion troubling her and how many meals there had been where she had eaten only enough to keep Bucky and Steve from worrying over her.

 

Finding the soup to be simmering nicely, she moved about the kitchen to prepare the next batch of ginger water (which she was going to partake of to soothe her stomach) and then dumplings to go with the soup. Her movements were measured, automatic, her mind hundreds of miles away.

 

She was trying to decide when she should tell Steve and Bucky, the memory of their previous excitement making her want to do so immediately, while the memory of loss made her want to hold off on saying anything. She was afraid to jinx it, more than she had been the last time, because now she knew the pain of loss, and remembered the disappointment and pain so keenly felt. Fear made her want to remain silent, but… There was also undeniable excitement. They were going to have a baby. _A baby._ That was reason for excitement, for celebration.

 

Eevie decided to tell them, and she knew exactly how she was going to do it.

 

After dropping the dumplings into the soup to cook, she washed her hands and went to her knitting basket, rummaging to the bottom and pulling out the small pair of baby booties she had knit the day before she had miscarried. She looked at the tiny things, made from warm and soft white worsted, and felt a pang of loss. She wished so much that she had not lost their baby, but without that loss, they wouldn’t know the joy of expecting this one.

 

Grief was a double-edged sword, she reflected as she rose and went to the bedroom, fetching two clean white handkerchiefs. She wrapped each bootie in one, before placing them on the table where she would normally place Bucky and Steve's plates. She looked at her handiwork and took a deep, steadying breath, before turning back to the stove to check the dumplings and remove the soup from the heat.

 

She could hear Steve and Bucky approaching the house only a few minutes later and took another steadying breath. _It will all come out right, you’ll see,_ she told herself firmly, turning to smile at them as they entered, knocking the dirt from their boots just outside the door.

 

“Back from Becca’s already?” Bucky asked as he approached her, kissing her quickly.

 

“I didn’t actually make it to Becca’s.” Eevie said as Steve approached for his own kiss. He turned to the table afterwards, while Bucky looked at Eevie quizzically.

 

“Everything all right?” He asked, even as Steve spoke.

 

“What’s this?”

 

Eevie chose to answer Steve, grinning at him. “Early birthday present.” The excitement was bubbling up inside her now, mixing with the ever-present nausea and causing a roiling inside her. She refused to show it, but feared she might be ill if they took much longer to open the small bundles.

 

“Bucky has one too.” Steve pointed out.

 

“Late birthday present.” She said as innocently as she could while Bucky moved to pick up his little white cloth bundle.

 

“I’ve never known someone to enjoy giving gifts as much as you.” Steve chuckled as he began to fold back the white cloth, staring at the contents in confusion a moment, before realization began to dawn on his face. Bucky was staring at the contents of his in shock and hope.

 

“I lied. I’m sorry. I needed to see Constance but didn’t want to-” Her words were cut off when Bucky whooped in delight and charged forward, catching her up and spinning her about. Eevie felt her stomach flip, and tried to claw her way free of his grip, but he was pulling her close with no regard to her sudden, silent protest.

 

So, unfortunately, when she vomited, it was all over his front. He was so shocked that he dropped her, and Eevie quickly stumbled to the wash basin, stomach heaving again.

 

“… Sweetheart?” Steve had to chose which spouse to go to; the one standing still in horrified shock and covered in vomit, or the one who was heaving up the contents of her stomach. He rather wisely chose the latter, going to Eevie’s side and rubbing her back comfortingly. She let out a distressed little groan.

 

“No spinning.” She managed to choke out, before her stomach clenched and heaved once again.

 

“No spinning.” Bucky agreed, “I’m glad as hell it’s Saturday.”

 

“Even if it wasn’t, we’d make you take a bath tonight anyway.” Steve said cheerfully, checking the stoneware jug on the worktable, sniffing at the contents. He corked it again and gave it a shake, before pouring a cool glass of ginger water for Eevie, taking it to her while Bucky began to strip off his soiled clothing in the middle of the kitchen, so as not to drip through the entire house. “Here you go, sweetheart. Easy now, all right?” Steve murmured, rubbing her back again as he held out the cup to her. Eevie gave him a look of gratitude as she took it and rinsed her mouth out with the first sip, before trying to keep down the next.

 

“Sorry about that, darlin’.” Bucky said rather sheepishly. “Kind of deserved that, I guess.”

 

“S’okay. And maybe a bit.” Eevie rasped out.

 

“So… When can we expect the new addition?” Steve asked Eevie, continuing to rub her back.

 

“October. I’m about three months along.” She straightened, sipping at her ginger water, eyes closed as she fought to keep the nausea down. “Didn’t realize it until today.”

 

“I’m sorry I ruined your announcement.” Bucky said, stripped to his skin, moving to clean up what had gotten onto the floor.

 

“You didn’t. Besides… Seeing your faces was worth the mess.” Eevie smiled over at him. “I am so sorry that I threw up on you.”

 

“Deserved it, not letting you go when you pulled away.” Bucky countered amiably. “So… October.” She didn’t have to look at him to know how giddy with joy he was; it had seeped into his tone. “Baby will be close to Becca’s in age. It’ll be good for the both of them, having a cousin as a playmate.”

 

“That it will.” Steve agreed. “Did Missus Wilson tell you that you need to do anything in particular?” Steve asked Eevie, and she could see the worry in that moment, the worry that this was not for them, that things might go poorly again.

 

“She said that I need to take it easy-”

 

“-Steve will finish the garden, then, and I’ll-”

 

“I’m not an invalid, I can still work.” Eevie huffed.

 

“Let us worry a bit, all right?” Bucky implored, “There’s so much we can’t do to help you with this, let us do the things we can to make it all easier on you, darlin’.”

 

She smiled tenderly down at where he was still knelt on the floor, cleaning up. “All right. But if there are things that I feel I can still do, I’m doing them.” She warned.

 

“Fair enough.” Steve placed a kiss atop her head, “We’ll just have to try and get all the hard work out of your way.” He smiled at her, “You mean the world to us, sweetheart. We’re going to take care of you, and our baby.”

 

His words warmed her to her very soul, and she leaned against him happily while Bucky finished cleaning up her mess.

 

“I won’t argue that.” She promised softly. “You two are already pretty good at caring for me.”

 

“Just as you’re doing a pretty good job at taking care of us. A perfect job.” Bucky assured. “Let me do a quick cat bath with a cloth and the pitcher, and then I’ll serve us up some of that soup. You sit down and take a rest, darlin’.”

 

“I’ll get the soup.” Steve protested. “You go on and get cleaned up and dressed.”

 

“I can get the-” Eevie started, but Steve and Bucky both spoke as one.

 

“-No.”

 

She let out an exasperated huff, before smiling. “All right. I know when I’m outnumbered.”

 

“Two to one.” Bucky agreed cheerfully.

 

“Not that you mind.” Steve pointed out.

 

“I don’t mind at all.” She told the two of them, unable to keep from smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could not stop laughing when I wrote her vomiting all over Bucky, and Steve's reaction. I still cackle when I re-read it.


	26. Chapter 26

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which a baby is born.

The rest of the planting season went well. Eevie learned quickly how to insulate her stomach in the mornings with a glass of warm ginger water and a slice of dry toast, so that while she was frequently queasy, she wasn’t actively ill. Most of the time. There were still days where it was all she could do to keep a scrap of food in her stomach. There was a lot of work to be done around the farm, and Eevie did as much as she could, but Steve and Bucky kept a close eye on her to make certain that she wasn’t doing too much. Bucky had gone to speak to Constance to find out exactly what Eevie should avoid doing, and reported her words to Steve, much to Eevie’s displeasure. She felt limited in everything she did, even though she knew it was simply because they did not want this pregnancy to end in loss.

 

She did manage to convince them that she could at least hoe the garden once it was planted. When she was bent over the rows with hoe in hand, a part of her ruefully wished she had remained silent and let them take this chore from her, but they had so many chores already that giving them more would have left her feeling even more guilty about the entire situation. And there was guilt there; she couldn’t do all the work that needed to be done, and she felt awful whenever Steve or Bucky did a task for her.

 

It was very frustrating.

 

She was just fetching the hoe to use it on the garden that morning right after breakfast when she could see a buggy come racing down the road. Eevie paused, recognizing Isaac’s bay driving team, and her eyes widened, knowing what such speed meant. She put the hoe away and raced towards the drive as Isaac drew the team to a stop outside the house.

 

“It’s Becca’s time?” Eevie asked, and Isaac nodded, his face ruddy from the drive, and from combined excitement and nerves.

 

“Her waters broke before dawn. Constance is with her, But Becca wants you there.”

 

“Rest the team a minute. I’ll go tell Bucky and Steve that I’m going with you.” She said firmly, before heading directly to the fields, not needing to search for her husbands, able to see them easily in the distance. As she hurried up to where Bucky was working, he looked to her anxiously.

 

“Are you all right?” He demanded, “Is it the baby? Do I need to go for-?”

 

“Becca’s time is on her.” Eevie said, hand rubbing at the stitch in her side that her jog had caused. “Isaac came to fetch me.”

 

“Go.” Bucky urged, giving her a smile. “I’ll come and get you in a week.” Becca would need someone to help her during her lying-in, and Eevie had been more than willing to agree to the task when asked by Becca. Eevie couldn’t help with the full two weeks a lying-in should last, but after the first week, others would be by to check on her to help with chores and the meals. They had arranged it with the ladies of the church quite neatly.

 

“Love you.” Eevie stood on her tiptoes and stole a kiss, “Tell Steve I love him too!” She admonished, before turning to hurry towards the house to gather up what she would need to take with her.

 

On the drive to his and Becca’s house Isaac pushed his horses, though not as hard as he had on the trip to get Eevie. She told him Bucky’s words, that Bucky would come and fetch her, and Isaac just nodded tersely. Anxiety was radiating from every inch of him, and Eevie found herself reassuring him that it would all be all right, that Constance would have everything well in hand. He looked a little calmer as they came to a stop outside the little wood house he shared with Becca, and Eevie hurried out of the buggy and into the house, surprised to find Becca standing in one of Isaac’s old shirts that hung to her thighs and nothing else, gripping the back of a chair, her face contorted with pain while Constance firmly rubbed her lower back. After a moment the pain eased, and Becca took several shuddery breaths, smiling when she saw Eevie.

 

“Oh, Eevie, I’m so glad you’re here!” Becca choked out.

 

“Anything you need, I’m right here for you.” Eevie promised, biting her lower lip. “Thought I’m not certain what I’m doing!”

 

“That’s why I’m here.’ Constance said with a comforting, maternal smile. “I don’t think we’re going to see this little one before noon, though. Evelyn, would you see about whipping something up for all of us?”

 

“Certainly.” Eevie agreed, unrolling her apron and quickly putting it on as she went to prowl through the pantry and root cellar to see what she had to work with. She cooked while Constance had Becca walk in circles around the large room, stopping as necessary when she felt a pain coming on. Between them, Eevie and Constance tried to keep a conversation going, including Becca as much as they could as they tried to distract her from the pains and the long labor. Isaac came in while Eevie was finishing with cooking, and looked completely out of his depth, though Becca gave him a wan smile.

 

“Should I go?” He asked Constance.

 

“You can stay through dinner. Then you can go back to working the fields, just like it’s any other day.” Constance told him, “We don’t need you underfoot, Mister Booth, and you won’t need to hear the yelling.”

 

“Yelling?” Isaac all but yelped out.

 

“Yelling.” Becca agreed. “I told you there would be screaming, love.”

 

“Dinner is ready,” Eevie said, “It’s only hasty pudding, but there’s molasses to go with, and I didn’t think you’d be up for anything too heavy.” She apologized, “But I’ve got salted cod soaking for supper and we’ll have one of your favorites, creamed codfish in white gravy, with buttered new potatoes and peas right from the garden.”

 

“That sounds heavenly, and after all this, I’ll likely want at least three platefuls.” Becca smiled at Eevie, before she was gripping the side of the table and letting out a strangled agonized groan, that made Isaac tense.

 

“She’ll be fine,” Constance soothed Isaac, who managed to nod. He bolted down his dinner, and Eevie set him off to the fields with a full jug of ginger water before cleaning up from dinner, while Constance took Becca into the bedroom to check on how things were progressing.

 

Nearly an hour later, Eevie was scrubbing at the kitchen to keep busy when Constance called to her. Eevie wring out the dishcloth and hung it to dry before hurrying into the bedroom.

 

“Wash your hands in the basin.” Constance ordered. “Pains are coming close, baby won’t be long now.”

 

“That was sudden.” Eevie ventured, quickly scrubbing her hands at the basin as requested.

 

“Must have liked your cooking. Is coming out to ask for more.” Becca panted out, before her face contorted with another pain.

 

“More like my cooking scared him into coming out. Worried that he’ll get more of it if he stays.” Eevie joked as she moved to where Becca was standing beside the bed. Becca choked out a laugh, before another pain hit. Eevie looked to Constance, concerned. “Shouldn’t she be in bed?”

 

“Better for her to squat.” Constance shook her head, “You hold her hands, help support her.”

 

“All right.” Eevie said dubiously, moving to take Becca’s hands. Becca gripped her hands tightly, beginning to squat as Constance instructed.

 

A few short hours later Eevie was taking dinner off the stove when she heard Isaac knocking the dirt from his boots just outside the door. She turned to greet him, grinning broadly at his worried yet expectant expression.

 

“Becca and little George are doing just fine.”

 

Relief flooded Isaac’s features. “Can I see them?”

 

“Of course. Supper will keep until you’ve seen them. I’ll bring Becca’s plate in to her in just a few minutes, so that she can eat while you hold him.”

 

“Thank you.” Isaac smiled at her, before hurrying to the bedroom.

 

~*~

 

One week later, Eevie was both sorry and yet relieved to leave Becca and Isaac’s behind when Bucky came to fetch her. He spent some time praising his nephew, who was still all red-wrinkled and new. George was a plump baby, with cheeks that just begged to be pinched, and a hazy blue, cross-eyed gaze.

 

In short, he was adorable, and absolutely perfect.

 

“Can’t wait to have one of our own.” Bucky said once he had settled onto the wagon seat beside Eevie.

 

“Just a few more months.” Eevie smiled, running a hand over her belly, which was already beginning to swell ever so slightly. Enough that she had noticed; and by the tender caresses over her belly at night when they were drifting off to sleep, she knew that Bucky and Steve had noticed as well.

 

“And I can’t wait. Becca promise to come and sit with you when it’s time?”

 

“She did.” Eevie agreed, “I missed you and Steve. I missed home.”

 

“And we missed you a hell of a lot.” He smiled over at her. “Got a small taste of motherhood, helping Becca out?”

 

“I did. Only a small taste, but it was enough. And now I know a bit more of what to expect during the delivery, which is the part I’m worried about the most.” She confided.

 

Bucky laughed, “After a time or two, you’ll be fine.” He teased her.

 

“How many times do you expect us to go through this?”

 

“Oh, half a dozen, at least.” He teased her, making her laugh.

 

“We’ll just have to see what we’re blessed with. I don’t care how many we have, as long as they’re all healthy and happy.”

 

“Amen to that.” He chuckled, “Oh, while you were at Becca’s, Peter Parker brought by some mail that was waiting for us. Got a letter from your friend Lydia in there.”

 

“Really?” Eevie asked with a smile, “I’ll have to read that tonight.”

 

“We had other plans for tonight.” Bucky pointed out.

 

“I’m tired.” Eevie warned him.

 

Bucky frowned, “You didn’t do too much, did you?”

 

“Maybe a little, but I was careful.” She assured him.

 

Bucky frowned, “If you’re certain…”

 

“I am.”

 

The rest of the drive passed by in quiet discussion of how things were on the farm, the uneventful days that had passed for Bucky and Steve, while Eevie dutifully reported everything about little George’s first days to his proud uncle. When they reached their low sod home, Eevie smiled to see Steve stepping through the open door to greet them. He followed the wagon to where it was usually parked and helped Eevie down from it.

 

“Hello, sweetheart.”

 

“Hello, my love.” Eevie replied, embracing Steve tightly. “I never want to leave again.” She declared, “I will if Becca ever needs me, but I didn’t like being away from you two.”

 

“We didn’t like it much either, necessary as it was.” Steve bowed his head and gave her a tender kiss. “Come along inside. I’ve got supper on.”

 

“I think that’s the best thing I’ve heard all day.” Eevie laughed softly, linking arms with him. “Don’t be long, Bucky!”

 

“I won’t be.” He promised, already unhitching the horses.

 

The meal was simple, but good, and well received. Then Bucky shooed Eevie to her rocker and the letter that awaited her, while he cleaned up the dishes and the kitchen. Steve sat in his armchair, reading a tattered dime novel. When Bucky joined them in his own armchair, he picked up his own book, but paused, frowning, when he saw Eevie’s face.

 

“What’s wrong?”

 

“Lydia will be eighteen in a few months. She’s already looking for a place to go to once she’s too old to work in the orphanage, but she’s having as hard a time finding a place as I did. She’s considering becoming a mail order bride, with how well we turned out, but she’s hoping that she only gets one husband out of it.” Eevie bit her lip, “I’m just worried, is all. Just as worried as I was when I came out to meet you. What if she does become a mail order bride, but her husband isn’t good to her? Or it isn’t a good match at all? I know it’s silly to worry when she hasn’t even decided on what she is going to do, but… She’s my best friend, and the closest thing I had to a sister when I was growing up. I’m going to worry over her.”

 

“All we can do is hope for the best,” Bucky said dubiously, but Steve broke in.

 

“We can do a bit more than that.” When Eevie and Bucky looked to him, silently waiting for him to continue, he smiled. “I had an idea.”

 

“The last time you had an idea, we got married.” Bucky drawled, “Don’t tell me you’re thinking of bringing in a second wife.”

 

“I love Lydia, but not like that!” Eevie protested, alarmed at the thought.

 

“No! Not like that!” Steve hastened to explain, “But maybe she should come out here when she turns eighteen. We know most of the people in the area, and a new, single young lady? She’ll have men lining up to court her, and we could help her pick the best of the lot.” Steve smiled at Eevie, “Then, you’d have your best friend and almost-sister close by, and you wouldn’t need to worry as much.”

 

“And you’d save us on postage.” Bucky teased. “I like it. Ask her if she’s amenable to the idea, and if so, we’ll go ahead and get her tickets.”

 

“And she can help you when the baby is born, and before it comes. I know Constance was worried on you doing too much.” Steve pointed out.

 

Eevie was smiling beatifically at the two men, “You are the most thoughtful…” She trailed off, tears of joy in her eyes, “I’d like that. I… I would like that a great deal. I’ll write and ask her tonight.”

 

“And we’ll give it to Laura to post on Sunday.” Steve promised her. “I’m looking forward to meeting her. From everything you’ve told us, and how often you two write one another, you’re about as close as Bucky and I.”

 

“Without the romantic entanglement.” Eevie protested, before flushing. “I know you two love each other as husband and husband, but I just don’t feel that way towards Lydia.”

 

“And that’s all right.” Bucky assured her.

 

“Besides, the two of you are enough for me.”

 

“More than enough?” Steve asked. Eevie shook her head, smiling.

 

“No. Just right.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ugh. The cuteness. I'm getting cavities over here. But welcome to the world, little George. Named for Bucky and Becca's father.


	27. Chapter 27

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a festival.

Only a week later and it was time for the Spring Festival. Eevie was in a new dress once again, this one of far lighter weight cotton than her red winter dress. It was a pale pink trimmed in white lace, and she felt even more elegant in it as than she did in her other dress. She even had a new straw bonnet to wear, lined with white and trimmed with pink only a bit darker than her dress. She had cut the dress with room to be let out as she thickened with the child growing inside her, and while the swell of her stomach wasn’t noticeable in her dresses and she hadn’t needed to switch to her new pregnancy corset just yet, she had a few inches more girth than she had before.

 

She looked forward to the day she felt the child quicken inside her, but first, the festival, which was the more immediate cause of excitement and burgeoning delight.

 

The town possessed a fair-like atmosphere, everyone laughing and jolly as they prepared for the races that would take place after dinner, Main Street cleared off and blocked off to serve as the track. So early on, most folks were simply mingling with their friends and neighbors, ladies bustling under a long kitchen tent in the church yard while men set up more open sided tents for shade, and others set up the long tables in the church yard. In the kitchen tent, women were making bowls of rich custard while the older boys crushed large blocks of ice in burlap sacks with the help of hammers, before nesting bowls of the custard in the ice and covering it, the older girls slowly watching and stirring it, as the custard became rich and delicious ice cream. Before the crushed ice could melt fully, it was then slipped into the waiting barrels of the lemonade, made with staggering quantities of lemon juice, lemons slices, and white sugar all mixed up with fresh well water. The ice cooled the lemonade that was dipped out and poured into the waiting tin cups of the townsfolk.

 

When Steve helped Eevie down from the wagon, he then helped her carry the bounty she had brought to share for the dinner and supper; two pies, two cakes, two pans of baked beans, a jar of spiced pumpkin preserves, two of apple butter, and six pullets that had been butchered, cleaned, and scalded, leaving them ready for frying. Eevie had set several hens earlier in the year, so there were fluffy little chicks filling the farmyard, which meant that they could eat a few more of the older ones. To add to the bounty there was a half bushel of turnips and another half bushel of carrots, as well as a basket of eggs and bottles of cream to contribute to the custard for the ice cream. Everyone contributed what they could, and as the crops and livestock were doing very well and they had squirreled away more than enough to see them through the coming year, the Barnes-Rogers family could offer a bit more than the minimum requested donation of foodstuffs.

 

“Eevie!” Laura called as Eevie entered the cooking tent, a stoneware milk pan of beans cradled carefully in either arm, the handle of the basket of eggs over one forearm. “Good gracious! Here, let me help you with that. Darcy, come and help Missus Barnes-Rogers!”

 

The buxom young brunette hurried forward, carefully taking one of the heavy pans from Eevie, while Peter Parker hurried to help Bucky, who was carrying more of the bounty they had brought.

 

“Thank you.” Eevie smiled, lifting the basket off her arm, “I didn’t expect everything to get so heavy so quickly!”

 

“Well, it’s good practice for when you’re toting around your little one in a few months’ time.” Laura promised Eevie, “You’ll see. Oh my, did you empty your entire cellar to bring all this?”

 

Eevie laughed, “No, and I told both you and May what we were bringing last Sunday, so stop acting so surprised.”

 

Laura laughed. “True enough. Before we put you to work, would you like a dish of ice cream? The next batch is about ready.”

 

“Oh, yes please! I’ve never had ice cream before, and I’ve been looking forward to this.” Eevie confided. She loved sweets, but her pregnancy made her crave them even more. When she could manage to eat, that was. Which reminded her, “Oh!” She turned to catch Bucky’s attention before he went back to the wagon with Peter tailing behind him like a duckling, “Don’t forget the jug. Please.”

 

Bucky grinned, “Think you’ll enjoy drowning in lemonade too much to even think about ginger water.”

 

Eevie gave him her most plaintive look. It was one of the days when she couldn’t say just how her stomach would react. She had kept breakfast down, but it had been a near thing, and breakfast had not been particularly heavy; only fried mush. “Please. Just in case. It’s an… Unpredictable sort of day.”

 

He melted at that expression on her face, and when she said it was an unpredictable day, he knew exactly what she meant; she didn’t know how her stomach would react to anything. “All right. Just in case, but I still bet you’re going to have the lemonade instead.”

 

“We’ll just have to see.” Eevie smiled at him. “Thank you, Bucky.”

 

“Not a problem, darlin’.” He looked to Peter, “You’re going to be in charge of putting that jug somewhere safe but close at hand, understood?”

 

“Yes sir, Mister Barnes. Sir.” Peter said, very much like an overeager puppy, following the larger, more muscular man quickly.

 

“That boy is so eager to please. It’s amazing that May gets anything done with him underfoot.” Laura chuckled as she led Eevie to where she could get a tin plate of ice cream.

 

“It’s because he’s off working with Ben most of the time.” May called laughingly.

 

“Hard work is exactly what a boy that age needs.” Laura said approvingly. “He’s seventeen now, May?”

 

“Nineteen in August.” May called back.

 

“My, but time just flies by. Before we know it, he’ll be running off to get married and file a claim for a homestead of his own.” Laura chuckled.

 

“God willing. Just give him a few years.” May called back, fully aware that Peter could still hear, and that his ears were turning red from it. Bucky laughed and clapped a hand on Peter’s back, nearly bowling the young man over.

 

Eevie giggled, accepting the tin plate of ice cream that Laura handed her. She picked up the spoon and took a bite, closing her eyes and savoring the cold, letting the sweetness melt onto her tongue. As the first cold spoonful slid down her throat, she reached for another. “This is-” She cut herself off. Her mouth was filling with water; she could feel her stomach lurch. “Nn-mm!” She choked out, shoving the dish of ice cream back at Laura.

 

“Basin!” Laura shouted, as Eevie turned away and took a few stumbling steps. Within a moment, May shoved an empty wash tub in front of Eevie, who blindly gripped the sides and retched into it. She still clutched the washtub as she was guided away from the food preparation area.

 

“’m sorry.” She finally choked out.

 

“No need to apologize, honey, I’ve been there a few times myself.” Laura assured her comfortingly. “Harley, fetch Missus Barnes-Rogers a drink,” She called to one of the boys, before turning her attention back to Eevie. “I have her, May.”

 

“’ank oo.” Eevie managed, feeling her stomach give an ominous shudder. She was given a cup of cold water and a cloth, which she used to rinse and wipe her mouth. “This baby is intent on making life very difficult.” She sighed, feeling drained of her energy. She was urged onto one of the benches that had been set up, and sank onto it gratefully, the washtub placed on the bench beside her.

 

“Sometimes they do that.” Laura sighed, “I was like that with Lilah. I could barely keep enough food in my stomach to keep body and soul together. Should I have someone send for Constance for you, look you over?”

 

Eevie shook her head. “No, it’s just the morning sickness. But don’t suggest fetching Constance to Bucky, or he’ll insist on her coming over, no matter what I say. I know he and Steve mean well, but…”

 

“But it’s frustrating,” Laura agreed quietly, “Clint was like that with me, after our first loss. You’ll just have to butt heads a bit, until they back down.”

 

“The problem is that my husbands are as stubborn as they come.” Eevie smiled wryly as Harley Keener ran up, a tin cup in hand.

 

“Missus Barnes-Rogers, Mama said that lemonade might help with your stomach.” He said as he carefully extended the cup to Eevie.

 

“Thank you, Harley.” Eevie smiled at him as Eliza Keener came up behind him, wiping her hands on her apron.

 

“Ginger works for most folks, but lemon slices sprinkled in sugar worked for me. Lemonade is close enough, I figured.” Eliza smiled down at her.

 

“Thank you.” Eevie smiled weakly at her, “Anything is worth a try at this point.” She raised the cup to her lips and took a sip. The tart liquid washed over her tongue and she gagged, moving immediately to twist and spit it into the basin, stomach heaving, causing her to retch once more as Laura gently pried the cup from her hands.

 

“Oh dear.” Eliza sighed, “I’m sorry, Eevie… Would you like to try a slice of lemon with sugar?”

 

Eevie shook her head weakly. “No, but thank you. I’ll just wait until Bucky brings the jug of ginger water. I know that will work to settle me a bit. I’m not certain I want to try something new, after being sick twice in a row.”

 

“You were what?” Bucky asked as he approached, setting down the half bushel basket he was carrying.

 

“Just a bit of nausea from the baby.” Laura said brightly, turning to smile at Bucky, “Ice cream and lemonade don’t agree with her stomach at the moment.”

 

“Aw, darlin.” Bucky sighed, picking up the heavy stoneware jug that he had placed atop the turnips in the basket he had just carried in, holding the jug out to Laura, who accepted it with a smile, “A cup of this should help. A bit of bread might help, too. Or slices of apples or raw turnips.”

 

Most of the women in the tent were biting their lips or insides of their cheeks to hide their smiles. “We’ll give it a try and see what works.” Laura promised Bucky, “You just finish bringing in the food, and then go and find your husband and have a walk around or help set things up.”

 

“We can always pare potatoes or turnips for you.” Bucky offered.

 

“We should have enough helpers with the young ones, but if we need your skills, we’ll give a holler.” Laura assured him. “Now go.”

 

“Yes ma’am.” Bucky grinned, tipping the brim of his hat to her before hurrying to get the rest of the bounty from the wagon.

 

“Let’s see if we can get a bit of bread and butter into you. Maybe a bit of molasses.” Laura chuckled. “You just sit here and let your stomach settle, Eevie. We’ll take care of everything.”

 

“I can pare vegetables while I sit.” Eevie suggested.

 

“After we see if we can get your stomach settled.” Laura poured some of the ginger water into the tin cup that had once held water. “Do you want me to get some ice for this?”

 

“No, but thank you. I’ve found that when my stomach is like this, it doesn’t handle cool drinks terribly well.” Eevie sighed, “Which might be the problem with the ice cream and lemonade.”

 

“Might be. Drink this.” Laura passed her the tin cup and Eevie took it, sipping at the room temperature ginger switchel. She sat for a time, watching the others work and feeling useless while Harley took away the washtub she had been ill in and cleaned it, before bringing it back. Her stomach accepted the bit of bread with butter and molasses, but the nausea remained, and Eevie wasn’t certain she wanted to try anything more than that for a while yet.

 

After nearly half an hour she felt settled enough to begin paring turnips for cooking, Darcy Lewis sitting on the bench beside her, the pile of unpeeled turnips in the baskets between them melting away as they chatted together. Darcy was only a little more than a year younger than Eevie, and reminded Eevie of Lydia with how open and friendly she was. A pleasant hour passed as they worked and talked, until someone interrupted them.

 

“Mind if I join you on the bench?” A familiar feminine voice asked, and Eevie looked up, shocked.

 

“Becca!” She quickly set aside her paring knife and stood to embrace the other woman, “What are you doing here? You didn’t bring the baby, did you? So soon?”

 

“Isaac is carrying in George’s basket. We couldn’t stay away from the festival.” Becca smiled, embracing Eevie, “I told Isaac to go by himself, but he wouldn’t listen to me. Said it was either the both of us, or neither of us. So… It’s both of us.”

 

“You shouldn’t be out of bed yet!” Eevie protested, “Sit, sit!”

 

“Good gracious, Rebecca Booth, what were you thinking?” Laura demanded as she bustled over, “You should be in bed for at least another week at the very least!”

 

“We’ll blame it on the Barnes stubbornness.” Becca sighed as she settled onto the bench where Eevie had been sitting. “At least you’ll all get to see little Georgie as soon as Isaac brings his basket in.”

 

“Small blessing.” Laura drawled. “Evelyn Barnes-Rogers, you sit yourself back down. You still look as pale as a ghost.”

 

“What?” Becca took a closer look at Eevie, “You look awful!”

 

“Morning sickness.” Eevie groaned, sinking down onto the bench in the spot that Darcy vacated for her. “It is particularly bad today.”

 

“Oh no,” Becca looked at her sympathetically, “Don’t tell me; you can’t have the ice cream?”

 

“Or the lemonade.” Eevie agreed with a sigh as Isaac approached, carefully carrying a Moses basket in and setting it at Becca’s feet. “All the trials and tribulations that we must face before getting to hold our little ones. Speaking of…?”

 

Becca laughed. “Yes, of course you can hold him.” She gave Isaac a smile and soft thanks before leaning down and scooping the baby up. George was well swaddled, still all wrinkled and new though he wasn’t as red as he had been at birth. Becca then carefully transferred George to Eevie’s arms, who smiled down at her nephew, who opened his eyes to blink sleepily at her with his cross-eyed gaze.

 

“I think he’s gotten bigger.” Eevie murmured, inspecting the little face with the cheeks that just begged to be pinched.

 

“All he does is eat and grow.” Becca laughed softly.

 

“That’s what babies are supposed to do! Oh, he’s a darling, Becca.” May said as she hurried over, as did several ladies, though the cooking could not be left unattended for long.

 

“He looks like a baby.” Darcy countered, looking down at George in his calico baby bonnet, swaddled in soft blankets. “I’m sorry,” She said to Becca, “All babies look the same to me.”

 

“They used to all look the same to me, too.” Becca laughed. “That will change as you get older and start thinking about babies of your own, you’ll see.”

 

“Oh no,” Darcy shook her head quickly. “No babies for me. Not any time soon, at least.”

 

“You’ll change your mind.” Meredith Quill grinned at Darcy.

 

“I never thought about having children myself, not really.” Eevie said quietly, “Oh, I knew that I wanted to get married and have some someday, but that always seemed… As if it was something that would just happen. It was inevitable. Then I met Bucky and Steve, and having a family with them, having their children… That was something I began to look forward to, began to want so badly.” She looked up at Darcy, smiling at her. “Opinions can change. Just like circumstances.”

 

Darcy was smiling softly at Eevie, “I guess they do. I’ll keep that in mind.”

 

“They say that every little girl dreams of marriage and children,” Meredith mused, “I don’t think that’s true, exactly. There just isn’t much else for us to dream about. I wanted to study music, but Papa said music is nice, but too much of it is not for proper ladies.” Her smile turned rueful, “Not that I’ve ever been terribly concerned with being proper. Even still, I never really thought about children until my Peter was on his way.”

 

“It’s just the way of things.” Laura said simply.

 

“Once we have the right to vote, that will change,” May said with conviction, “It will be the start to opening new doors for women everywhere.”

 

Eevie looked at her in surprise. “I didn’t know you were a suffragette.”

 

“I fully believe in women’s suffrage. I’m not as outspoken, because I know there isn’t much we can do out here in Babel, but I also don’t need to be. Most folk around here are very enlightened when it comes to the capabilities and mental faculties of women.”

 

“Most folk.” Eliza agreed with a soft laugh. “My Harry isn’t one of them.”

 

“No he isn’t.” May chuckled. “He’s a beautiful baby, Becca. I look forward to holding him later, but for now, ladies, we need to get back to work if we want to be able to serve dinner to all these fine folk.”

 

There was some good-natured grumbling, and then everyone began to disperse. “I’ll get you a plate of ice cream, Becca.” Wanda Maximoff volunteered, hurrying to get the sweet treat for her.

 

“Thank you!” Becca called to the young woman, before looking to Eevie. “I’m glad that you’re here to hold him. It’ll give me time to eat my ice cream!”

 

Eevie laughed softly. “Eat, drink, and make merry. I’m hoping my stomach settles a bit before dinner, and that there are no problems leading up to supper. I’m looking forward to dancing with my husbands tonight.”

 

“I’ll have to sit out the dancing.” Becca sighed, “We saw Constance on our way in. She is _not_ happy that I’m here, and gave me a few strict rules. No dancing is one of them.”

 

“Oh no! I’m sorry, I know that you and Isaac enjoy dancing with one another.” Eevie looked to her sympathetically.

 

“Well, there’s always the Fourth of July.” Becca said cheerfully, “That’s not far off at all. And hopefully by then your morning sickness will be over and done with.”

 

“From your lips to God’s ears.” Eevie chuckled. “I should give this little one back to you and get back to paring vegetables.”

 

“I don’t think anyone will mind if you want to hold onto him a little longer.” Becca said, smiling as Wanda brought her a plate of ice cream.

 

“Only because it means you get to eat your ice cream, right?” Eevie asked, amused as she saw Steve approaching the kitchen tents.

 

“Mister Barnes-Rogers, dinner won’t be ready for nearly another hour.” May called.

 

“I’m just here to check on my wife and sister-in-law.” Steve smiled, holding up his hands in a ‘don’t shoot’ gesture.

 

“Well, I guess we can allow that.” May chuckled, waving him past. Steve tipped his hat to her, before striding to where Becca and Eevie sat.

 

“I saw Isaac. When he said that you were here, I was… Concerned. So was Bucky, but we thought it best if only one of us came to check on the two of you.” Steve smiled at Becca, before looking to Eevie, his expression softening as he saw her with infant George in her arms. “And how are you doing, sweetheart? Bucky told me about what happened.”

 

“I’m doing better. Still not certain how dinner will sit, but I’m doing better.” She smiled.

 

“Have you been able to eat anything?” He asked as he knelt in front of Eevie and Becca, reaching out to place his hand on top of George’s head. His touch was gentle despite the size of his hands and the strength that Eevie knew they held, his hand completely covering the top of George’s small head.

 

“A little bit. Not much. But it’s enough for now.” She confessed, a part of her enraptured by the sight of Steve smiling down at the baby. Soon he and Bucky would be looking at _their_ baby like that, a thought that made her heart nearly burst from the pleasure and joy of it.

 

“All right. Is there anything I can get you?”

 

“I have everything I need right here.” She smiled at him, though that was a slight untruth. “Well, almost everything.”

 

Steve looked from George to her, “Almost?”

 

“Well, we’re missing Bucky.” She said simply. “When I have the two of you nearby, I have everything I need.”

 

Steve gave her a brilliant smile, before moving so he could brush a kiss against her lips. “I love you, Evelyn Barnes-Rogers.” He murmured as he drew back, love shining in his eyes. He looked to Becca and smiled, “I’ll let you three be, then.”

 

“And I love you. Don’t worry on us, we’ll be just fine. Dinner will be ready soon, and Laura has told me that you and Bucky are to take me to a table off to the side so that we can eat together—or try to, in my case. Afterwards you and Bucky can go and watch the horse races you’ve been talking about for the past three days while I help with the clean-up.” Eevie grinned.

 

Becca laughed, “You know, they’re like that every year. Eager to see the horse races, see who has a new bit of horseflesh on display. I know Sam Wilson has a three-year-old that he’s hoping to show off this year.”

 

Steve grinned, “I may have heard the same thing.” He told Becca, before looking back to Eevie. “Then Bucky and I will be back at dinner time to escort you to our table.”

 

“I look forward to it.” Eevie smiled up at him, before watching him go.

 

Becca just smiled and shook her head.

 

Once Becca finished her ice cream and two cups of lemonade, Eevie passed George back to her so that he could nurse. She sat and talked with Becca, feeling completely superfluous to all the dinner preparations that were going on around them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay a party! And a few new characters. Old characters? Whatev. Time to flesh out the townsfolk a little more.


	28. Chapter 28

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which it starts not with a bang but a cough.

It was early morning still, Eevie only just beginning to drift awake as Bucky caressed her hip, a slow stroking that was coaxing her from slumber. Then a soft, dry cough broke the early morning stillness, Bucky’s hand stilling on her hip as he coughed.

 

“Love?” Eevie asked sleepily.

 

“Just a dry throat.” He murmured. “It’s nothing.”

 

“Cup of water on the nightstand.” She reminded him, beginning to wake more fully.

 

“That’s for you.” He countered as he began to stroke her hip once more.

 

“That’s for whichever one of us needs it, and right now, that’s you.” She yawned, before stretching. “Lemme up, love.”

 

“I was hoping we could linger in bed a while longer.” She could hear the pout in his voice. She sighed, snuggling back against him a moment.

 

“Not today. My stomach.” It had been the same excuse for the past week and a half; ever since the festival. Her constant nausea had become a trial to her, and it was a battle to keep enough food in her to nourish herself and the baby. Most evenings she felt weak and tired as a newborn kitten from the loss of energy that the lack of food was leaving her with. The only thing that helped was the warm ginger water, and even that didn’t always work to soothe her stomach.

 

Bucky’s hand slid from her hip to rest lightly over the slight swell of her belly, “Little man, you need to let your mother eat.” He murmured.

 

“Or young lady.” Steve rumbled sleepily, “We could be having a girl.”

 

“I doubt that girls are half as much trouble.” Bucky countered, before coughing again.

 

“Our baby is going to have the two of you as it’s fathers. I’d be amazed if we didn’t have a little troublemaker on our hands.” Eevie laughed softly, before her stomach gave a lurch, her mouth beginning to fill with water. “Let me up, loves. _Now_.”

 

Bucky heard the urgency in her tone and released her, stumbling from the bed so she could more easily scramble from it and heave into the bucket kept by the bedroom door for that express purpose. Bucky strode to her side and knelt beside where she crouched by the bucket, brushing the strands of hair that had escaped her braid away from her face.

 

“Better?” He asked when the retching stopped.

 

“No.” She grumbled as Steve came over, holding the cup of water out to Eevie, who reached up to take it automatically, rinsing her mouth out with it before taking a few hesitant sips.

 

“I’ll go toast some bread for you.” Steve said, reaching down and caressing back a lock of hair Bucky had missed.

 

“I can do it. I should be fine, now.” She said, standing on shaky legs, Bucky taking the cup back from her. She smiled at the two men as Bucky stood. “I don’t know what I would do without the two of you.”

 

“You’d manage.” Steve smiled at her, “You’re stronger than you give yourself credit for.”

 

“If you say so.” She said, flashing him a smile before heading to the kitchen to find something to insulate her stomach against the coming day. She hoped that it would settle enough for her to be able to retain a few bites of fried egg, though it would more than likely be more farina pudding for her. It was an invalid food, yes, but it was also one that she could keep in her stomach more often than anything else. She was thankful that it was a simple recipe that did not take long to make. She had made a quantity of it the previous morning, and still had half the pudding leftover; she could easily serve herself a few slices from it for breakfast if the eggs did not appeal to her stomach.

 

“You need to eat more than farina.” Steve said firmly as he followed her from the bedroom and saw her eyeing the plate she had covered with a light towel the day before.

 

“I would be, if your son or daughter would let me.” Eevie grumbled as she plucked a small cucumber from the basket on the counter; she had picked quite a few of the little cucumbers the day before so that she could spend the day pickling them, and other fresh vegetables from the garden. During the course of the previous year, she had learned that it was best to harvest and put away as much as she could during the growing seasons, so that she wasn’t completely overwhelmed during the harvest, and so that the best of the crops didn’t go to waste.

 

Steve came up behind her the way that Bucky was so fond of doing, the way the she enjoyed so much but couldn’t put into words. She leaned back against him as he placed his hands over her belly. “It’ll pass.” He murmured, “I know it will, just… Watching you suffer isn’t something I’m particularly good at.” He confessed, “I want to fix things so they’re easier on you, though I know that isn’t exactly possible.”

 

“It’s enough that you want to.” Eevie murmured, sighing as she heard and felt him cough suddenly. “I think the two of you are coming down with summer colds.”

 

“We’re fine.” Steve chuckled, “Just a dry throat.”

 

“Mm-hmm.” She agreed doubtfully. “You two need to take it easy.”

 

“It’s just a cough.” Steve protested, “It isn’t even a croupy cough.”

 

“If it becomes a croupy cough I’m tying you both in bed with onion poultices on your chests.” Eevie warned him in as threatening a tone as she could muster. Steve laughed, and pressed a kiss to her shoulder.

 

“If we ever get sick, I promise that we will follow your orders to the letter.” He looked up, “Right Buck?” He called.

 

“To the letter.” Bucky agreed, “Come on, Stevie. We need to get dressed. Cows need milking.”

 

“And eggs need gathering.” Eevie sighed, “I’ll dress and get the eggs after I eat this.” She held up the cucumber.

 

“I’ll get them. Easy enough for me to do it.” Steve told her, but she sighed.

 

“Steven, you can’t keep doing my chores for me.”

 

“I’m not doing all your chores for you, just this one.” He smiled down at her, before kissing her neck this time. Eevie felt a shiver of pleasure run through her.

 

“Going to tell you what I told Bucky.” She murmured, “I don’t think my stomach is settled enough for all that.”

 

“Not trying to start anything, just want to show my wife a bit of affection, or is that not allowed?” He asked innocently.

 

“You know what it does to me when either of you kiss my neck.” She grumbled, taking a bite of the small cucumber, the green, watery taste helping her stomach settle.

 

“All right, so I was trying to start something. You can’t blame a man for trying, not when his wife is so appealing.”

 

She laughed. “Well, I suppose I can’t.” She turned around in his arms so she could face him, “Go and get dressed, love. I’ll start in on breakfast.” She stood on her tiptoes and stole a kiss, before turning away, nibbling at the cucumber in her hand. If she went into the bedroom to dress while they were dressing there would be touches and caresses, that was as certain as the sunrise. But Eevie knew her stomach was unpredictable at best in the mornings, and she had no desire to vomit on either one of her husbands again. Or on the bed. That would be a nightmare to clean and would involve re-stuffing the straw tick, a tedious task that none of them wanted to do.

 

Once they went out to do their chores she went into the bedroom and dressed, doing so quickly so that she could get breakfast started. When they brought the milk in Steve strained it for her, while she quickly wiped the eggs so that she could put the ones they did not use that day into the barrel of lime water to preserve them for later use.

 

As she cooked the salt pork her stomach clenched at the smell, but it settled after a moment. When it didn’t do similarly when she cracked eggs into the skillet she rejoiced; she might be able to eat more than just cold farina for breakfast, which meant that she would likely be able to have more for dinner and supper.

 

She was happily planning out her menu for the rest of the day when she heard Steve cough again, followed by a cough from Bucky. Eevie frowned, glancing over her shoulder at the two before looking back to the food cooking on the stove. She would have to check the medicine chest after breakfast, she decided. If she remembered correctly there was some tussilago mixed up that she could give the two for their coughs. They had needed it in January, when they had all suffered from winter colds and barking coughs. At least this time around Bucky and Steve only had dry coughs, she thought with a sigh. As she carried the skillet of fried eggs to the iron trivet in the center of the table, she found herself praying that the cough didn’t come to her. She knew that if she did come down with a cough or a summer cold it would only exacerbate her nausea.

 

After she had the food on the table and they all settled into their seats, she saw Bucky and Steve watching her approvingly as she spooned a single fried egg onto her plate.

 

“Stomach doing better?” Steve asked, sounding relieved and approving.

 

“It feels a bit better, but the real test is yet to come.” Eevie rolled her eyes, before looking to her plate. She added a small portion of the fried salt pork to her plate, as well as two slices of toast spread with grease from the skillet that she then slathered with apple butter.

 

“Just take it slow.” He advised.

 

She bit back the retort that first sprang to her lips, wanting to snap at him that she knew the best way to eat without getting sick by this point. Instead she forced a smile, and a curt promise of “I will.”

 

She ate her meal slowly, and noticed that both her husbands were eating slower as well, nearly keeping pace with her. She smiled slightly at that, amused by the sweetness and caring such an action showed.

 

After breakfast (which mercifully felt as if it would remain in her stomach) she kissed them both before seeing them out the door, cleaning and doing her morning chores and checking the garden before starting in on the canning that she wanted to get done that day.

 

At ten she paused in her work to take Steve and Bucky a jug of ginger water. She carried it to Bucky first, who gave her a weary smile.

 

“Been looking forward to this all morning.” He confessed as he straightened and leaned his hoe against his thigh so his hands were free to take the jug. “Thanks, darlin’. I was starting to wonder if you had forgotten us.”

 

“I’d never do that.” She protested, “It’s barely after ten. Just like every morning.”

 

“Feels later than that.” Bucky confessed, “Must not have slept as well as I thought I did.”

 

“Must not have.” She agreed, looking him over. He looked a little paler than he should, a little worn down. “It could be that cold that you and Steve picked up.” She pointed out.

 

“Could be.” He agreed, before taking a long drink of the ginger water, finally handing the jug back to her. “Go on and take this over to Steve. I’ll hunt him up for more later.”

 

“All right.” She stood on her tiptoes and stole a kiss. “Love you.”

 

“Love you too. Forever and always.”

 

She couldn’t help but grin happily at those words. “Forever and always.” She agreed, before going to find Steve.

 

~*~

 

She noticed after a few days that the coughs did not improve, and that both men were practically falling into bed at the end of the day. They were starting to appear listless, and the tussilago was doing very little to curb their coughing. She still kept forcing it onto them, despite their protests that it was just a cold. She kept them home from church that week, not wanting them to make the trip when they were ill, despite protests from both Steve and Bucky that they were fine.

 

Wednesday morning, things took a turn.

 

She had started to wake at the usual time, but there were no caresses from either Steve or Bucky. There hadn’t been in days, and that worried her more than the coughing and fatigue did. Bucky was lying on his stomach, face mostly buried in his pillow, while Steve lay on his back, a hand on his forehead, while she was curled on her side facing Steve. Eevie reached out and ran a hand down one of Steve’s arms, frowning when she noticed he was covered in a sheen of sweat. She sat up and looked at Bucky, seeing he was as well. The weather had been warm enough that they were all sleeping nude with only the lightest of blankets, but in the early morning, the air was still pleasantly cool.

 

“Steve?” She asked softly, looking back to him.

 

“I’ll get up soon.” He croaked out, “Buck?”

 

Bucky let out a grunt in response.

 

“Think you can manage the milking? Got a raging headache.” Steve asked. Eevie quickly reached out to touch the back of her hand against his cheek, then his forehead.

 

“Steve, you’re burning up!” She exclaimed, brow furrowing in concern. She turned and did the same to Bucky, who was starting to sit up. “You are too. Lie back down.” She urged.

 

“Can’t. Cows need milking.” Bucky said.

 

“I can do the milking just as well as either of you.” She retorted. “Lie down.” She placed a hand on Bucky’s shoulder and forced him back down. “How are you feeling?”

 

“Achy.” Bucky confessed with a sigh. “Have been for the past two days.”

 

“Same here.” Steve said.

 

“What am I ever going to do with the two of you?” She sighed, climbing over Bucky. “You both should have said something.”

 

“Didn’t see any good in complaining.” Steve protested, rolling on his side so he could stand.

 

“Lie back down-”

 

“Outhouse.”

 

She let out her breath in a huff. “All right. But then it is back into bed for the both of you. I’ll do the morning chores and fix some willow bark tea to help with the aches. Then a simple breakfast.”

 

“Not hungry.” Bucky protested, moving so he could sit up slowly. “I can do the milking-”

 

“James Barnes, you are not leaving this bed except to answer nature’s call.” She snapped. “Now rest.” She moved to dress quickly, stopping in the kitchen for a cup of ginger water and a slice of bread and butter to help with the nausea. Then she went to do the morning chores. She wasn’t particularly proficient at milking cows, but she was still able to manage it without getting kicked, and also managed to get the horses and cows out of the barns and onto their picket lines, driving the picket stakes deep into the ground so that they could not easily pull themselves free.

 

She brought the milk in and strained it before putting water on to boil, and while the stove heated she went to gather the eggs.

 

Once the eggs were wiped she started cooking a new batch of farina pudding and toasting some of the bread, putting a light scraping of butter on the slices. She carefully carried in cold slices of pudding left from the day before into the room on plates with the toast, coaxing her husbands into sitting up and taking the plates before she hurried back out to the kitchen, fetching the tussilago and fresh pot of willow bark tea.

 

She stayed close to the bedroom that morning, using cool water to make compresses to place on their foreheads, and sponging them off with cool rags. They barely touched their food until she urged them to pick up their spoons and try; and even then they barely finished the smaller portions she gave them.

 

Friday came, and the morning started with Steve vomiting into the bucket by the door, the sound waking Eevie, who had slept only fitfully in her worry for the two. She slipped from the bed and went to rub his back comfortingly.

 

“Let me get you some water, love.” She murmured, quickly fetching the cup from the nightstand. Steve took it gratefully, “Little sips.” She cautioned him, before biting her lip and looking over to Bucky, who had not moved from where he lay on his side. “I’ll be right back.” She promised Steve, who remained crouched on the floor in front of the bucket.

 

“Take your time.” He managed to say, “I’ll be here.”

 

She couldn’t help but give him a slight, sad smile. She stood and went to Bucky, brushing back damp locks of hair from his face. His eyes opened slightly, then slid shut again. “Shouldn’t be here, Becks.”

 

Eevie blinked at him. “I… What?”

 

“Gotta get ready for the dance with Ma. Should be getting all gussied up.” He muttered, and Eevie felt her heart constrict.

 

This was bad. This was very, very bad.

 

She eased him onto his back, noticing for the first time the rash that was developing on his chest and shoulders. She glanced over at Steve, who was standing, bracing himself against the wall. When he turned back to the bed she could see the red spots on his chest as well.

 

“I’m going to fetch the doctor.” She said firmly, trying to keep the quaver of fear from her voice.

 

“Don’t need a doctor. Just a summer fever.” Steve protested.

 

“It’s more than that. Come and get back into bed.”

 

“Chores.” Steve protested, stumbling as he moved towards the bed, and Eevie rushed forward to help support him, “Have to do the chores before we can go to the races.”

 

 _Not him too!_ She thought, heart in her throat, pulse roaring in her ears. “We’ll get to the races. I’ll do all the chores and then we can go,” She soothed, “But for now I need you to get back into bed.”

 

He mumbled agreement, and she got him situated, before flying through the necessary chores. Breakfast could wait, the cows couldn’t.

 

As soon as the cows were on their pickets and the milk was strained, Eevie hitched up two of the horses to the wagon and drove directly to town. She drew the wagon to a stop outside Doctor Streiten’s, doing a poor job of parking it, but she was too worried to care. What if it was the measles? Or—God forbid—something worse? She was inexperienced as far as disease went, and only knew that her husbands needed a doctor to diagnose what it was and tell her what to do.

 

Eevie looked around before climbing down from the wagon, the thread of worry in her heart growing, making her mouth feel as dry as sawdust. It was a pleasant June day, and the streets should have been bustling. Instead, there was almost no one about, no horses picketed outside the storefronts, no teams hitched to wagons waiting in the streets save for her own.

 

She was stepping onto the board sidewalk when the door to Doctor Streiten’s clinic opened and the man with graying hair like lamb’s wool stepped outside in a rumpled suit of dark fabric, looking wearier than Eevie had ever seen a person look.

 

“Doctor Streiten?” She ventured hesitantly. If he looked so worn down there had to be a cause, a reason behind it. A reason why the town seemed so… She shied away from her first thought. ‘Dead’ had too many dire implications. Devoid of life was better, though not by much, she decided.

 

Doctor Streiten looked to her and sighed heavily. “Missus Barnes-Rogers. I take it someone has fallen ill?”

 

“Yes, sir. It’s my husbands. They’ve been feeling poorly-”

 

“And you?”

 

“No, sir. Except for the sickness from the baby.”

 

He nodded slowly. “Your husbands, did it start with a loss of appetite, some fatigue?”

 

“It started with coughing, the rest came with the fever a few days later.” She explained, dread in her stomach.

 

“Aches? Abdominal pain?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“It’s a dry cough? And the fever is accompanied by sweating?”

  
“Yes.”  
  
  
“And a rash? Have they developed a rash?” He demanded of her.

 

“Yes, sir. And they’re… They’re not _here_. They’re talking about dances and races… Bucky didn’t even recognize me!”

 

He sighed. “Delirium. If they’re lucky, it won’t last long. A day, perhaps a bit longer, they’ll slip into a state that looks like they’re sleeping, but their eyes will still be open a bit. All you can do by that point is get water and broth down their throats so that they don’t die of thirst while they’re unable to care for themselves. For you, cleanliness will be very important. Wash your hands with hot water and strong lye soap after you handle them or their waste. We don't know much about how it spreads, but their secretions and bodily wastes are dangerous to you.” He warned, “Sleep on a pallet on the floor but not with them, and wash often. Do not let any of their waste go near to your well or drinking water, or your garden, understand? With luck, you won't come down with it, and with care and effort on your part your husbands will come through all right. They have the same chance the rest of us have, but in the end it will still be up to God.”

 

Eevie was staring at the doctor in mounting horror. “What is it?” She asked in a terrified whisper, “What… And you mean to say everyone is down with it?”

 

“Near enough to everyone. There isn't a household in Babel or the surrounding area that doesn't have someone down with it, if not more than one.”

 

“But what is it?” She pressed for answers, horrified at the thought of so many people falling ill.

 

“Typhoid fever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... We've all seen infinity war, right?


	29. Chapter 29

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Eevie makes her rounds, and faces tragedy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TRIGGER WARNING -- This chapter contains character death and infant mortality.

Eevie listened closely to the instructions Doctor Streiten gave her, and when he asked her to check on some of her neighbors and help out where she could, she readily agreed, but her thoughts were not on her neighbors. Her thoughts were closer to home, on Becca, Isaac, and little George. The doctor gave her several bottles of alcohol, advising her to mix a small amount with water and bathe the sick with it to help cool down their fevers somewhat. She thanked him, before loading the crate of bottles into the wagon with his help. He left then, saying he had to check on some of the ill who were in town. Eevie nodded, and wished him well.

 

Isaac and Becca’s was the first place she went after speaking to the doctor, and what she found there made her heart sink. She didn’t know how long it had been since they had fallen ill, but it was clear to see that things had not been going well for them. The cow was lowing plaintively, the horses pulling at their picket lines to reach fresh grass that had not been cropped short. The only things that weren’t out of place were the chickens scratching in the yard.

 

Eevie drew her team right up to the front of the house, knowing that having the wagon closer to the door would make what had to be done easier. She needed to get her family all under one roof, where she could care for them more easily. Of course, that was easier said than done; just imagining getting Isaac’s lanky frame into the wagon made her back ache.

 

She clambered down from the wagon and strode purposefully towards the door, pounding on it with the side of her fist, not giving it a gentle rap of her knuckles as she normally might. “Becca? Isaac? It’s Eevie.” She called out. She waited a moment, and was about to enter without being let in when she heard slow, stumbling footsteps.

 

The door opened and there stood Isaac, his skin pale and almost waxy. “Eevie? Thank God.” He said, needing to reach out and lean heavily on the door frame. She could hear George crying now, his wail a thin, reedy one. Eevie’s heart clenched at that. Babies died so easily, and if George got sick… She forced her thoughts away from that possibility. _They’ll be fine,_ she told herself firmly, _they’ll all be just fine._

 

“Oh, Isaac.” She sighed, before forcing a smile. “I’ve come to help. Well, actually I’ve come to whisk all three of you off to my house so that I can keep an eye on you while you’re ill.” She said as brightly and cheerfully as she could manage. She didn’t feel cheery, but if she could help keep up the spirits of the invalids, keep them from knowing how bad it was simply by wearing a smile and a cheerful, comforting tone, then by God she would wear the biggest smile and be as bright and comforting as she could.

 

“But Bucky, Steve-?”

 

“They’re not feeling well either. I’ve been to the doctor and told him the symptoms, he said that it’s an illness that’s been going around the community. Most folk are down with it, and as soon as I heard that I came out to see you. I haven’t been afflicted yet, and God willing I won’t be, so I’m to take care of you and any of the neighbors I can.” She said as she moved so that Isaac’s arm was around her shoulders and she was helping to support him, “Now let’s get you into a chair to rest while I check on Becca and Georgie.”

 

“They’re sick.” Isaac said almost dumbly, “Real sick.”

 

“Then it’s a good thing I came by today.” Eevie said as she helped him down into his wingback chair. “You wait right there.”

 

“I’ve got to tend to the stock, haven’t been out in a day-”

 

“-I’ll take care of the stock. Once I get all of you settled into my wagon, I’ll tie up the cow and horses behind the wagon to lead them back to my place, so you won’t have to worry on them getting the proper care.” She assured.

 

Isaac managed a nod and then let his head fall back, eyes drifting closed. After days of watching Bucky and Steve worsen, Eevie knew that would be the best she would get from him. She took the opportunity to look around the house, seeing the meal partially eaten on the table and left for the flies, the dishes piled in the washbasin. Once she saw to Becca and George, she’d come and clean that mess up. Becca wouldn’t want to clean up plates covered in rot when she returned to her house. She went to the bedroom, brushing aside the cheery red curtain that served as a door, smiling when she saw Becca seated in the bed, still in her nightdress, trying to nurse George, who was refusing to latch.

 

Becca looked up, and there were dark smudges beneath her blue-gray eyes, but she didn’t look as poorly as Isaac did, which was a relief to Eevie. Hopefully the worst of it would just pass Becca by, and she would come out relatively unscathed.

 

“Eevie, you shouldn’t be here. We’re all sick.” Becca protested.

 

“Oh hush.” Eevie moved to check the water in the pitcher atop the commode; finding it to still contain some, she poured the water into the basin, taking up the cloth beside it and dipping it into the water. She wrung out the cloth, but not entirely, before carrying it to the bedside and bathing Becca’s face and neck, the other woman closing her eyes in relief and pleasure at the cooling feeling the damp rag left behind. Eevie took the cloth away after a moment, returning with it freshened by clean water from the basin, and she carefully bathed George’s face and limbs, taking the opportunity to check him for fever without being too obvious.

 

Like Becca, he was burning up.

 

“Bucky and Steve are down sick as well.” She said as she bathed George’s head, hoping to draw some of the fever out, “I went to town to discuss it with Doctor Streiten, who said that there is a sickness going around; almost everyone has it. After hearing that I had to come and check on you three to be certain you were well. And since you are most decidedly _not,_ I am going to load the three of you in my wagon and take you home with me. Might as well keep the sickness all in one place, and it will save me a trip coming to check on you every day.”

 

“Eevie…”

 

“And I would come every day, you know, until you’re better.” She smiled warmly at Becca, “You’re my family. My _sister_. If you think I’m going to let you suffer without trying to help somehow, you’ve got a lot to learn about me.”

 

Becca stared at her almost blankly, before she burst out into tears. Eevie bit her lower lip in distress, before quickly smoothing it away, replacing it with a comforting smile. “Here, let me take Georgie for a minute,” She said, easing the baby from Becca’s arms and rocking him gently. Babies were something she was used to; sometimes the orphanage would get infants, and while they were usually adopted out quickly, Eevie had still spent plenty of time in the orphanage’s nursery. “Oh, little man, you are burning up.” She sighed, before realizing what she had said. “I’ll take care of the dishes and clean up the kitchen a bit in just a minute,” She said swiftly, “And then I’ll use your spare bedding to make a cozy pallet for you and Isaac in the back of the wagon. We can put Georgie in his basket by your heads, right behind the springboard where he’ll be as safe and snug as can be.”

 

“Are you certain you want to take us? Five sick in one household…”

 

“We’ll be fine. And while you five are resting, I’ll be checking in on the neighbors closest to the house. But first, we need to get you three to the house, so we can give Georgie a nice, cooling alcohol bath. We’ll sponge you and Isaac down with alcohol as well to help your fevers.”

 

Becca was still sobbing, but she was trying to curb her tears. “Oh, Eevie, I don’t know what we’d do without you right now.”

 

“It’s going to be all right, Becca. You’ll see.” Eevie promised, even though she knew it wasn’t her promise to make. _Please God,_ she silently prayed, _please let everything come out right. Please._

 

Eevie proceeded to do exactly as she had promised, cleaning and getting everyone ready to travel. Getting them into the wagon bed was a bit of a chore, but she managed it, glad that they were not as ill as Bucky or Steve. At Becca’s insistence, Eevie caught several hens and tied their legs together, putting the furiously upset creatures in bushel baskets that she placed at Becca and Isaac’s feet.

 

They were going to need a lot of broth in the coming days, and neither woman wanted to exhaust the Barnes-Rogers flock completely.

 

The remainder of the chickens and the two roosters (whom Eevie eyed mistrustfully as she gathered up chickens to place in baskets) were left to wander free with the hope that most of them would survive the predations of the wildlife. There was no other option; Eevie couldn’t transfer the entire flock, only most of it. The cow and horses were easier; after she milked the cow (the poor thing had practically sighed in relief when Eevie emptied her swollen udders) she tied it behind the wagon, Isaac and Becca’s two horses tied alongside. The hogs… Well. Eevie promised herself that she would try to come out every day or two to bring them what scraps she could.

 

When she arrived back at home she set the pickets pins for the livestock deep into the ground. The hungry beasts quickly began cropping at the fresh grass. She unhitched her own team and set them out, wishing she could give them the care they deserved after pulling the wagon and standing so patiently when she needed them to, but she knew that the people had to come first in this instance.

 

Eevie got Isaac and Becca seated in around the table, plates of cold farina pudding in front of them while she quickly gathered up the spare bedding from where she kept it and made up the bed in Becca’s old room. She was glad that they had already filled the straw-tick to bursting in preparation for Lydia’s eventual arrival, for of course she would say yes and come to Babel. That was as certain as the sunrise, in Eevie’s mind.

 

Once the bed was made up, Eevie fetched fresh water and a basin, mixing the rubbing alcohol Doctor Streiten had given her in with the water. It would help to cool the fevers, he had promised, and Eevie found herself praying she was doing it correctly. She calmly sponge-bathed Becca (who weakly protested, until Eevie reminded her that she had watched her give birth; if Eevie couldn’t bathe her that only left Isaac, and he could barely manage his own self. At that firm reminder, Becca had relented) before getting her into a clean nightdress and putting her to bed, bathing Isaac next, though he remained in his drawers while she did. She had expected bluster and protests from him, but he simply sat in the chair with his head lolling back, eyes half closed as she bathed his limbs.

 

After she got Isaac bathed and into bed, she carefully picked up little George, whose cries had quieted in the time it had taken to drive from one farm to the other. Eevie wasn’t certain if that was a good sign or a bad, so she hoped for the former and prayed against the latter. He seemed better after the alcohol bath, calmer, and Eevie carried him in to Becca, who struggled to sit up so that she could nurse him. This time, George latched onto his mother’s breast, but he did not suck for long before his mouth went slack.

 

“He’s cried himself out.” Becca murmured, “Poor angel.”

 

“I’ll put him in the basket next to the bed,” Eevie said as she took the baby from Becca, “He’ll be within arm’s reach when he needs you.”

 

“Thank you.” Becca slowly sank back down onto the bed, “I’m so glad you came for us, Eevie.”

 

“So am I. Oh, I’m certain you would have managed all right on your own, Becca, but it’s always better to have help when you need it instead of going at it alone.” Eevie settled George into his basket, the baby limp in her arms, but still breathing. She prayed that he was just so still from exhaustion, that the little body was just too tired out to flail and fuss for a while, that he would wake refreshed and well.

 

 _They’re all going to be fine. Typhoid doesn’t kill everyone it touches,_ Eevie reminded herself firmly as she tucked Becca into bed, _They are going to pull through this if it kills me._

 

Then she went to check on Bucky and Steve, to see if there was any improvement. Her comforting smile dropped off of her face as she stepped through the butter yellow curtain into their bedroom.

 

They were further along than Becca and Isaac she realized as she fetched the alcohol and water to bathe them as she had the others. She hoped that meant it would be over all the sooner, but she remembered what the doctor said.

 

 _It usually lingers only for three weeks, maybe four,_ Doctor Streiten had told her, _The third and fourth weeks are the most dangerous, but don’t let that fool you. Typhoid takes who it wants, when it wants._

 

After bathing her two husbands and getting them settled, Eevie took a deep breath, and went to saddle up Maybelle. She had only ridden a few times, and only under the sharp eyes of Bucky and Steve, but she hoped it was enough. She had promised the doctor that she would check on her neighbors and help where she could.

 

She managed to get Maybelle saddled and get herself onto the back of the horse, though it took some effort on her part. She got Maybelle into a walk, not wanting to push either herself of the horse too hard.

 

Her nearest neighbors were the parkers; Ben, May, and their nephew Peter. When she arrived at their farm she didn’t even have to knock at the door; Peter must have heard her arrival, for he flung open the door, looking terribly young and concerned for all that he was the same age as Eevie, only eighteen, both nineteen come August.

 

She hoped they all made it to August, and quickly tried to banish that thought. _We’ll make it through. All of us._

 

“Missus Barnes-Rogers,” He breathed out, clearly relieved by her arrival, “Can you ride for the doctor? Aunt May and Uncle Ben are awfully sick, and I don’t want to leave them alone.”

 

“That’s why I’m here. There are a lot of people down sick, and the doctor asked me to come and check on your family and a few others. It’s going to be all right,” She promised with a smile. “Why don’t I come inside and take a look at your aunt and uncle?”

 

“You don’t understand, Uncle Ben is… He doesn’t recognize me, he’s talking about things that don’t make any sense.” Peter stumbled over his words as he stepped aside to let her in.

 

Eevie’s smile faded and she sighed. Cheery wouldn’t help here, not with Peter as sharp as he was. “Bucky and Steve are that far gone as well. Becca and Isaac will likely be delirious as well by the end of tomorrow. I took them to my house to care for them before coming here to check on you three.”

 

“What is it?” Peter asked, concern etched on his features.

 

“It’s typhoid.” Eevie said quietly, “Most of Babel is down with it. The doctor said that there is nothing to be done but care for the sick as best we can, and take care not to catch it ourselves. I’ll tell you everything he told me, after we check on your aunt and uncle.” She told him firmly. “Peter… This is going to be bad, but we have to be strong. They’ll need all the help we can give them, and so will others.”

 

Peter was biting his lips together and blinking back tears, but he nodded. “I can do that. At least, I can try.”

 

“That’s all any of us can do.” Eevie said quietly, “Now, I’ve brought a bottle of alcohol the doctor gave me. Fetch us a basin and a pitcher of cool water, and I’ll show you how to sponge them to bring down their fevers. Once we do that and make them a little more comfortable, we’ll talk, all right?”

 

“Yes, ma’am.”

 

“Peter, you are only three days younger than me.” She pointed out, “Please don’t call me ma’am. Eevie is fine, given the situation.”

 

“Yes ma’a-um, Eevie.”

 

“Much better.” She said as she pulled the glass bottle of alcohol from her pocket and set it on the table. She would have to take this bottle with her when she left, but she would bring more to leave with Peter tomorrow, she decided, feeling suddenly weary. There was just so much to do, she didn’t know how she would manage it all. She still had three more neighbors to visit; the Lewises, the Wilsons, and the Odinsons.

 

When she made it to the Lewis farm, her heart sunk further in her breast; there wasn’t a single person spared from the disease. Herschel, Freda, and all five of their children were in the grips of fever, though not as badly as Isaac and Becca. Eevie did what she could, chatting cheerily, bathing them all and changing linens, whipping up a thin gruel from cornmeal, sweetened with a little molasses to help it go down easier. Herschel and Freda were able to feed themselves, and so were little Dixie and David, but Eevie had to carefully feed Darcy, Daniel, and Drake. She patiently spooned the gruel into their mouths, followed by sips of water. She promised Herschel and Freda that she would return the following day, hopefully with some fortified broth for them.

 

Her next stop was the Wilson house, and she was relieved to find that Wade and Wade Junior were well.

 

“Typhoid.” Wade repeated after Eevie, before snarling out “God damn it!” and slamming the side of his fist against the wall, making Eevie jump, the house shake, and the baby cry. Wade sighed, shoulders slumping, looking so defeated. “Sorry, Missus Barnes-Rogers. It's just… Out of everything, why typhoid? Why Babel?”

 

“I don’t know. Only God knows those things.”

 

“And the author.”

 

“What?”

 

He made a dismissive gesture. “So, you’ve talked to doc Streiten about this?”

 

“I did. He’s seeing those he can, and wanted me to check on my neighbors. Which includes the three of you.” Eevie pointed out, “I’ve got something that will help a little bit for now, and I’ll bring more tomorrow.” She promised. “I didn’t think to bring a bottle for each house, I didn’t expect so many people to be sick, even though the doctor said…” She sighed, shoulders slumping a moment, before she straightened. She couldn’t admit defeat. Not yet. “He said the important part is to wash our hands after handling them, that their… I’m not certain the word he used, but their waste and their sweat and all could be dangerous to us. We have to keep it all well away from our drinking water, and wash with strong lye soap after handling anyone who is ill.”

 

Wade was clenching his jaw, and nodded. “What about Wade Junior? Vanessa started him on thin farina cereal, told me how to make it when she started getting sick, but should she still be nursing him?”

 

Eevie hesitated. Mother’s milk was what children needed, and yet… If the sweat of an infected person could make them sick, could the milk make babies sick? She knew that milk from a sick cow wasn’t fit for consumption, so perhaps the same principal applied here. She thought of little George, of Becca trying to nurse him, and felt her stomach clench.

 

“No.” She decided, “I don’t know for certain, but I’d say no. Try to get him by on the farina and cows milk.”

 

“All right. Show me what it is you brought to help Vanessa.”

 

She pulled the bottle of alcohol, a little more than half empty now, from her apron pocket. “All right. We’re going to need fresh water and cloths to bathe her.”

 

“While I am always eager to help my wife take a bath, I don’t see how that is going to help with her being sick.”

 

“It will bring down her fever for a while.”

 

“And we want to do that before her brain cooks inside her skull like an egg.”

 

Eevie winced. “Well… Yes.”

 

“And you’re doing this for your family?”

 

“Yes. And others.”

 

“Then what’s good enough for them is good enough for Vanessa. Show me.”

 

“All right.”

 

Eevie showed him how to mix the alcohol and water, promising that she would bring another bottle by tomorrow, as well as some broth, thinking about the mountain of work that would need to be done when she returned home… But one chicken could make a good quantity of soup for the sick, and fortifying the broth with vegetables and herbs would make it stretch further. She could get at least one meal for all the invalids in her care from one chicken. At least, she hoped she could.

 

She was feeling bone weary when she reached the Odinson farm, glad that they were the last of the neighbors she would need to check on. Unfortunately, what she found there was just as disheartening as the Lewis place had been. Thor, Jane, and their three small children—Steinbjorn, Anne, and Freya—were all ill, being tended to by Loki, who looked rather pale himself.

 

“You’ve got it too.” Eevie said gently, trying to guide Loki to the sofa. “You should be resting-”

 

He shrugged off her hands and scowled down at her imperiously, “I should be caring for my family.”

 

“Which is what I’m here to do, help the sick ones as much as I can.” Eevie pointed out, “Please, sit down. Have any of you eaten yet?”

 

“I was about to start in on supper.”

 

“Let me.” Eevie said, looking to the clock anxiously. She needed to be home. She needed to check on her family, but her neighbors needed her, and the doctor had made her promise that she would look in on them and help where she can.

 

 _I’m sorry,_ she thought to her family, _I’ll be home as soon as I can, but others need me just as badly._

 

By the time she made it home, she was nearly frantic to check on everyone. She looked in on Bucky and Steve first, grimacing to see that they had soiled the bed. Moving them was difficult, but she managed to roll them to their sides or fronts or backs enough to get the linens changed. There was nothing she could do about the straw tick, not yet, so it would just have to stay as it was. She knew the we would make the grass grow mold and start it to rot, but she couldn’t exactly re-stuff the blasted thing while they were still on it. She checked on Becca and Isaac, expecting the same mess, finding it, and cleaning up as best she could. She would have to do a washing in the morning, before going out to check on the neighbors.

 

Then she checked on little George in his Moses basket, and her heart sank. His breathing was shallow and sounded harsh in the stillness. She gathered him up in her arms, dismayed to find he was burning up once more.

 

“Oh, Georgie. You have to get better.” She whispered, undressing him in hopes that the lack of clothing would help bring his temperature down a bit. “I think we’ll try another alcohol bath for you, all right?” She asked the baby, knowing he was far too young—and too far gone even if he wasn’t—to answer her. Keeping him cradled in one arm she moved about, getting the basin ready. Once she had, she bathed him slowly, dropping the cloth when he began to shiver.

 

“No. No no no…” She breathed, quickly wrapping him in her apron to warm him, but he spasmed in her arms, great heaving motions, before going completely still, a whitish foam escaping from his parted lips.

 

“No…” Eevie sobbed out, placing her hand on his chest, trying to feel for his heartbeat, see if the little lungs were still working, but a part of her already knew that it was too late for that.

 

 _You shouldn’t have left them,_ an insidious voice echoed in her mind, _George might still be alive if only you had stayed and cared for him properly._

 

Eevie sank to the ground, unable to contain the sobs that rose up from deep within her. It was her fault, all her fault, she thought as she cradled the cooling body of her nephew in her arms, tears rolling down her cheeks.

 

Once the worst of her grief had passed, she wiped away what tears she could, dimly aware that she was still crying, that nothing could stop the flow of tears. Nothing but exhaustion, and even that was uncertain.

 

Eevie carefully dressed George in his discarded clothing, before wrapping him up in the quilt that Becca had so carefully made for him. He would need it's comfort, Eevie decided, the bright designs so lovingly created would be his shields against the hard earth. She supposed that she should get a coffin, but the doctor had told her to get anyone who died into the ground as soon as possible, well away from houses, crops, and water.

 

In the dusk of the evening, Eevie carried the shrouded remains of the infant on one arm, while she struggled to carry a lantern, a shovel, and a broken wooden board in the other. She picked her way through the prairie grass to the back corner of the farm, where the boundary markers were. She set her precious bundle down and placed the lantern beside it but on top of the board, before taking a shuddering breath that brought more tears to her eyes. Then, she began to dig.

 

It was hard to cut through the thick roots of the prairie grass, and as she peeled back jagged mats of sod, she could see why it had been used as a building material. She tossed the sod aside, away from George, not wanting to cover him before it was time. Upon revealing the rich, dark brown earth that had lain beneath the sod, she sighed, then dug deeper. It was not a large hole, but she knew it would need to be deep to ward off scavengers.

 

As she dug, her mind focused upon one thing.

 

 _If you're there god, and you're listening, I'll do whatever it takes, whatever you want me to do, give whatever it is you want me to give, so long as you don't take them from me. I can't lose Steve and Bucky, I can't. I don't know how I'll manage to go on without them._ She paused in her digging, looking up at the darkening sky, the stars beginning to appear in the heavens, “Anything. I'll do anything you ask of me, Lord, just please… Let them live through this.”

 

She watched as a star suddenly streaked across the sky, a gleaming trail of bright silver light in its wake. For a moment her grief vanished, and she sucked in a breath, shocked. As far as signs went, it was a small one, but oh, how the sight of that shooting star gave her hope.

 

 _With care and effort,_ she told herself firmly as she resumed digging, _we'll get through this. I know we will._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before the advent of modern medicine--vaccines, antibiotics, etc--infants (and children, but especially infants) died very easily. A simple fever could be deadly. Something like typhoid had an almost 100% mortality rate in infants. Also, Eevie wouldn't know that alcohol baths--while helping reduce fever--could also be very dangerous and reduce the fever too quickly, causing a sudden drop in body temperature.
> 
> I did not want to kill off George. But for the sake of accuracy, I couldn't let him live.
> 
> I'm sorry.


	30. Chapter 30

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the price is paid.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger warnings: this chapter contains description of childbirth, and infant mortality.

Becca was barely sensible that night or all the next day, which Eevie found herself grateful for. She didn't know how she was going to tell Becca that George had died, and wanted to put off the conversation as long as she could. Eevie wished she could do more for George, read a prayer over his grave or plant flowers, but that would all have to come later. There was too much to do to keep everyone else alive and functioning.

Over the course of the four days that followed losing George, Eevie spent her time split between five different farms. She was wearing herself down to a frazzle and she knew it, but she couldn’t see what other options there were. Everyone else in their part of town save for Peter Parker, Wade Wilson, and Wade Junior had fully succumbed to the illness and lay in their beds in what the doctor had called the typhoid state; a numb sort of stupor with their eyes only partially open, twitching occasionally, sometimes picking at the bedding. Once in a while there would be mumbled words, but none of it made any sense to anyone who listened.

Watching her loved ones in such a state was a sort of hell on Earth, Eevie reflected. More than once in her exhausted scrubbing of laundry—the endless piles of laundry, wherever she went as the ill could no longer avail themselves of outhouses or chamber pots—she wondered if the devil had come to Babel, if he was demanding his due from the entire community. She wondered what it was they had done to deserve this plague, but cast those thoughts aside. It didn’t matter what had been done; all that mattered was surviving, and helping as many other survive as she could.

That morning she got the bedding changed and everyone sponge-bathed, before scrubbing the bedding in boiling water and plenty of lye soap, just as she had needed to do every morning. It was to the point where she was putting damp bedding on the beds in the mornings; she only had two sets for either of the two beds, so when she changed the bedding in the morning, she had to scrub the soiled sets and hang them to dry, repeating the process in the evening. She wasn’t able to do this at every house; she only changed the bedding only once daily at the other homes she visited. She did the laundry as best she could every day, and wondered how long she was going to be able to keep up the pace that had been set.

She stopped her wagon in front of the Wilson farm, after checking in on the Parkers and the Lewises. It was just after dinner time, but she had not eaten yet. She hoped to do so here, though she didn’t feel terribly hungry. At least she had not yet been plagued by nausea that morning, she thought gratefully even as she felt another throbbing ache in her lower back. She had done so much bending and lifting lately that she wasn’t surprised by the pains, which were growing greater and coming more often as the morning progressed into afternoon. A sign that she needed to stop, to sit and rest, but there was no time for her to do so. There was far too much to be done.

After setting the brake on the wagon, she reached into the back and took up one of the jars full of broth that she had set to simmer the previous night while she slept on her little pallet on the floor of the main room. The single jar would feed Vanessa and Wade Junior for at least two days; she was less worried about Wade, who could fend for himself more easily than his wife or baby could. Feeling as if there were lead weights tied to all her limbs, she climbed down from the wagon seat and walked to the house, letting herself in without knocking.

“You are not looking like your usual fresh-faced self.” Wade observed from the kitchen table, where he was holding Wade Junior and carefully spooning a thin mush made from cornmeal and chicken broth into his son’s waiting mouth.

Eevie sighed, setting the new jar of broth on the table, going to the stove and picking up the largest pot to fill with water. “I haven’t looked my fresh-faced self since this started, Mister Wilson.” She pointed out, no longer trying to keep up the façade of cheer. Not here, where Wade knew how bad things were, how bad they could get. It was far different than the brave face she put on for Peter Parker.

“By this point, we can dispense with the formalities. It’s Wade. And I think you need to sit down for a while.” He frowned at her.

“I think I need to get this pot filled and set to boil so that I can scrub the linens.” Eevie countered, taking the pot out to the well. When she returned, Wade was lying Wade Junior on his blanket on the floor, giving the baby the carved, linked fruitwood chain that he liked to chew on. The baby kicked his legs, letting out a crow of delight, Eevie smiling at the sound. At least someone was cheerful.

Wade stood, and walked over to Eevie. “You need to sit down.” He repeated, placing a hand on Eevie’s shoulder as she rubbed at the small of her back. “I can do the laundry.”

“Wade, the last time you tried, you wore a hole in Vanessa’s nightgown that I still have to find time to mend.” Eevie pointed out tiredly, “Do us all a favor and stay away from the laundry.”

“I won’t complain about that, but I still think you need to sit down.” Wade said firmly.

“I can’t. I have to finish this and then check in on the Odinsons. Loki came down with it as well and now he’s just as bedridden as the rest of them.” She protested.

“You don’t mean to say that you and I are the only two healthy people in this neck of the woods?” He looked horrified by the news, though he tried to mask it.

“Us and Peter Parker.” Eevie agreed, wincing as there was a spasm of pain in her back.

“Evelyn, you really need to sit down.” Wade said, squeezing her shoulder lightly. “Come over here. How long have you had the back pains?”

She looked at him, puzzled, as he guided her to the sofa “What?”

“How long have you had the back pains?”

“My back has been hurting since last night, but-” She gasped as he back spasmed again, this time bringing with it with a rippling pain in her abdomen that took her breath away. She placed a hand over her belly, horrified, struggling to get her breath back. She shouldn’t be hurting, not like this.

“This is bad. Very bad.” Wade said, guiding her away from the stove. She stumbled, and he quickly helped her to the floor instead of holding her upright and getting her to the sofa. “I think we’re about to welcome a little Barnes-Rogers into the world.”

“But it’s too early!” She protested, bearing her weight on her knees and one hand, her other still on the slight curve of her belly. She felt the muscles tighten under her hand even as the next pain washed over her.

“When did your waters break?” He demanded.

“They didn’t!” Tears were escaping her now, “It’s too soon!”

“Has there just been some wetness? Damp? That’s what happened to Vanessa. Her water didn’t break all at once.” Wade said, rubbing slow but firm circles into Eevie’s lower back.

Eevie remembered how Vanessa had told her the story of her birth, how there hadn’t been a large flow of water as everyone had told her to expect. Eevie hadn’t even thought of that possibility when she had noticed the dampness of her drawers and thighs that had started the night before and gone on through the morning. She had thought her bladder had failed a small amount, as Constance had told her it might. She had never even suspected that it might be the waters that cradled her child, because it was far, far too soon for such things. It was only June, after all, and the baby wasn’t due for almost four more months.

“Yes,” She sobbed out, tears springing to her eyes. Was this the price she had to pay? Was the Lord truly demanding this of her? Now, when everything was so bleak around them? “There’s been some damp, I thought… I thought…” She grimaced as another pain came. They were close together, far too close. She racked her brain, trying to recall how long she had felt these pains in her back, remembering that they had woken her up the night before, had left her in only a fitful state of sleep until it was time to rise.

“Eevie, please forgive me, but I think I’m about to see more of you than your husbands have.” She couldn’t see his face and the weak grin he was giving her, but his words did make her head snap up, alarm written on her features.

“What?”

“Your pains are too close together. We don’t have time for me to go and get Constance, and I’m not going to let you do this on your own.” He said firmly, still rubbing her back.

She looked over to him, unable to hide her alarm and desperation. She had never thought she would do this without Constance or Doctor Streiten present, that Steve and Bucky wouldn’t be waiting nearby, eager to meet their little one. “Have you done this before?” She finally demanded.

“Twice. Well. Two and a half times. I helped with Wade Junior.”

“Oh God.”

“That’s the spirit! Keep praying. Prayer never hurt anybody. Come on, let’s get that dress and your drawers off of you.” There was a pause, “I can’t believe I’m saying that to a woman and it’s not regarding sex. Well, it’s sort of regarding sex. The consequences of sex.” Wade kept up a steady stream of words, trying to calm the frantic young woman as he helped her from her dress and got her stripped down to her chemise, “Should I be boiling water?” He finally asked, “I feel like I should be boiling water. Or do they just say that to get us men out of the room?”

“I put the water on to boil already.” She gritted out as another pain rippled through her, this one fiercer than those that had come before.

“Oh, well, that’s handy. Hey, remind me to apologize to your husbands later for looking up your hoo-ha.”

“Wade.”

“You cannot blame me for trying to bring some levity to the situation.” He pointed out, “This is your show, Eevie, I’m just along for the ride. Tell me when you need to start pushing, and I’ll help. First lady I helped did this on her back. Second was squatting, and Vanessa was down on her hands and knees, so there is no right or wrong way to do this. Whatever you need to do.”

“I think,” There was another pain, and when it subsided it left her gasping for breath once again, “I think I need to be on my knees.”

“All right. Up we go.” He helped her so that she was sitting up, balanced on her knees alone, “How are we doing?”

The next pain came with an unmistakable and almost unbearable urge to bear down. She tried to convey as much to Wade, but the need to push was overwhelming, and she couldn’t get the words out. He seemed to understand, and guided her hands to his shoulders so she could use him for support while he reached down to catch the baby.

There was immeasurable pain, and a sensation that she would never afterward be able to describe properly as the small form—far too small—slipped from her body and into Wade’s hands as she bore down.

The room was silent save for Wade Junior’s baby prattle on the other side of the room, and Eevie’s harsh breathing. There was no thin, reedy cry of a newborn, and Eevie felt her heart break at that.

“Hey, Mama,” Wade’s voice was gentle as he reached up with one hand and eased Eevie to the floor, where she could more comfortably expel the afterbirth in a few minutes, “You have a precious little girl.” He said in that soothing, gentle tone, bringing up his other hand so Eevie could see the impossibly small infant wriggling in his hand; tiny legs kicking and arms flailing, mouth working though no sound came out. It felt as all the breath left Eevie’s body as Wade carefully transferred the tiny form to her hands, and Eevie stared at her daughter in mingled wonder and sorrow as she looked over the minute form that didn’t have an ounce of fat on it. She had thought that George was like a baby bird when he was born, but no, he was far more solid than this frail little girl, her skin an angry, almost bruised red, with eyelids closed tight over bulging dark eyes. The little form shivered in her hands and Eevie brought her daughter close to her breast, careful of the cord that still bound them together, would until the afterbirth was expelled. Wade rose and moved away, before coming back with a soft white tea towel that was likely made from a flour sack as Eevie’s own were.

“I thought we could wrap her up in this.” Wade said gently, and helped Eevie to wrap the little body up, to protect her from the cold. Eevie couldn’t stop the tears that flowed down her cheeks as she looked at her little daughter, feeling the joy of the moment but also a sorrow that threatened to consume her. This tiny being that she held that was the culmination of so many hopes and oh so much love was clearly not long for the world. The world was too large and cruel a place for something so small and delicate.

“What’s her name?” Wade prompted Eevie, who didn’t look to him.

“Abigail.” Eevie said softly, “We hadn’t decided, we were putting it off, but… I like Abigail.”

“It’s a good name.” Wade’s voice still held the gentle, soothing tone, “Hey, Abby, I’m your uncle Wade.” Eevie couldn’t help but giggle at his proclamation, despite her tears and grief, and she looked up at him, seeing the smile curling on his lips, but the sorrow in his eyes. He knew just as she did that Abigail was only a transitory visitor in their lives, and would be leaving them soon.

The tiny soul remained in the world for only sixteen minutes before she went still in her mother’s hands, her underdeveloped lungs finally ceasing their struggle. Eevie was not aware of much else during those sixteen minutes; she was dimly aware that she had expelled the afterbirth, that Wade had cut the cord and was helping to clean Eevie and try to make her comfortable while she spent what precious time she could marveling at the perfection of her little girl. Eevie’s tears had stopped, but only briefly; the moment Abigail creased to draw a new breath, they were back, her shoulders beginning to shake from the sobs she didn’t try to suppress.

“I’m sorry, Eevie.” Wade said softly, sitting down next to her with something in his hands. She looked to him, and saw that he was holding a wooden cigar box. She looked up to him in confusion, and he sighed. “I don’t have enough lumber to knock up a coffin for her, so I thought… I know it’s just a cigar box, and I’m not trying to be disrespectful, but I just thought it would be better than no coffin at all.”

Eevie bit her lips together, trying not to sob all the harder at his words, managing to give a nod.

“I’ve got another one of Vanessa’s tea towels in here,” He set the cigar box on his lap and opened the lid, showing the soft white pad of the interior. “We’ll keep Abby wrapped up in the one she’s in, and bury the afterbirth under the coffin. All right?”

Eevie managed a nod, feeling completely wrung out as her tears began to subside. The grief was still overwhelming, so was the pain and the despair, but a sort of numbness was settling over it all, pushing it down and enveloping Eevie so that all she felt was tired and empty. Wade carefully took Abigail’s tiny frame from Eevie’s hands and with a gentleness that would have surprised anyone else—anyone who hadn’t seen how he had cared for his wife and son the past several days and still thought he was a flighty tough guy with a smart mouth—he made certain that the little body was swaddled snugly in the towel, before placing her into the cigar box, letting Eevie look until she turned her head away, unable to bear the sight any longer. Then he closed the lid and carefully took the cigar box to the table, before helping Eevie up and getting her settled onto the nest of blankets and heavy canvas he had arranged on the sofa. Once she was lying down, he draped a crochet blanket over her. Eevie let the gray numbness take her then, let it wrap around her as she sunk into unconsciousness.

She slept through Wade’s departure, not stirring when he returned. She roused somewhat when he forced her to so that he could help bathe the blood and fluids from the birth from her; helping her to dress in fresh clothing with her sanitary belt securely fastened around her waist once that was done. She stared dumbly down at the contraption, mind not comprehending how he had obtained it to put it on her, but then he was helping her put a dress on, and urging her to her feet. He carried her then, getting her settled in the back of her wagon before driving it back to her farm.

Once there she was dimly aware of him telling her that he and Peter would see to the Odinsons and all the others for the next day or two, that they would come and check on her and her family the following day. He carried her into the house and got her settled onto her pallet on the floor, where she allowed the gray nothingness start to claim her once more.

Despite the exhaustion, the grief, and the numbness, one thought echoed through her head. I paid your price, Lord. Please, let it be worth it. Please, don’t take them from me as well. Please.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cried while writing this chapter.
> 
> I cried while editing this chapter.
> 
> One of my beta readers still isn't talking to me.


	31. Chapter 31

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A chapter of loss.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TW: Chapter contains child mortality and character death.

Eevie slept through the rest of the evening and all through the night, waking with a groan in the late morning when her front door opened. Everything hurt, and her heart was an empty husk. There wasn’t enough left of it to pain her. Not at that moment, at least.

 

“Missus Barnes-Rogers? I mean, Eevie?” She recognized Peter Parker’s voice, “Mister Wilson asked if I’d check in on you this morning. He said… He said you’re having a hard time of it. That it isn’t the typhoid, that you… Well, you need some looking after.”

 

“I can…” Eevie said, starting to sit up, but then Peter was kneeling beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

 

“Mister Wilson said you probably shouldn’t be up yet-”

 

“Probably,” Eevie agreed, groaning as she batted away his hand and sat up, “But I need to get up. There’s too much to do.”

 

“But-”

 

“There are only three able-bodied people to care for twenty sick. I won’t let that number be two and twenty-one.” She looked up to him, “But I am going to need help managing.”

 

Peter looked down at her, before nodding once. “All right. But you can’t do everything. I… I should have been helping more, instead of just taking care of Uncle Ben and Aunt May. That… I’m sorry. Part of what happened… It’s my fault.”

 

“No, Peter. Don’t you say that.” Eevie reached and grabbed his hands, squeezing them hard and looking into his eyes, “It’s not your fault. None of it. It’s not Wade’s fault or your fault.” She couldn’t say it wasn’t her fault, not when her memory of her plea of _I’ll give anything so long as they live_ echoed inside her head. “I should have asked for more help. I knew I was working too hard, but…” The words stuck in her throat and she had to close her eyes to fight back the wave of grief, the tears that wanted to fall once more, “… But we can’t stop and lay blame on anyone. We have to start working together to make certain as many people come out of this alive as we can.”

 

“All right,” Peter said quietly, “Tell me what to do.”

 

“Let me take care of myself, and then we’ll see what still needs doing, all right?” She asked him, forcing a smile, though she felt as if she would never smile a true smile ever again. Not until this was well behind them and Steve and Bucky were on the mend, not until they were able to hold her close and share in her grief, tell her that everything would come out right in the end, somehow.

 

 _It is always darkest before the dawn,_ she thought to herself grimly as she rose, grimacing at all her body told her with those simple movements, _I don’t see how it can get much darker, so the dawn must come soon enough._

 

As the day wore on, things began to feel hopeless again. They still had at least two weeks to get through before people started to recover, she had realized after checking the almanack. Of course, that was assuming that everyone got sick at about the same time.

 

“It looks like this will go on for a while yet.” Eevie sighed, closing the almanack after making a mark to indicate when she had lost Abigail. She would have to write Abigail’s birth and death into the family bible, next.

 

“What do you mean?” Peter asked anxiously, looking from where he stood at the stove, preparing food for the invalids.

 

“The doctor said that week three and four are the most dangerous. We’re not even at the end of the second week yet. Not if everyone got sick at the festival, like he said they probably did.”

 

Peter’s shoulders slumped. “So, we have two more weeks before everyone will get better?”

 

“If we’re lucky.” Eevie agreed.

 

“We need luck, right about now.” Peter said glumly. “If we work together, it won’t be as hard.”

 

“Exactly.” Eevie agreed, “We just have to work together.”

 

“Will you show me how to do the laundry after we feed everyone and get them cleaned up? Once I know how, I can help out at the other farms, as well as at home.”

 

Eevie nodded once. “All right. I would appreciate the help with it, that was the hardest part of all of it, I think.”

 

“I’m sorry-”

 

“Don’t apologize again.” She said sharply, “As I said, it wasn’t anyone’s fault but my own.”

 

“… Yes ma’am.”

 

“… Peter.”

 

“Sorry. Yes, Eevie.”

 

She smiled slightly, but it was just a quirk of her lips that didn’t touch her eyes. “Better.” She said softly, putting the almanack back on the shelf and going to pick up the heavy family bible.

 

In the coming days, Eevie was truly grateful for how Wade and Peter began to help her more than they had before, for how they had realized that they needed to do more than look to their own families. It made the days that followed easier, though each day that passed seemed more difficult than the one that had come before it. Every day that they sank into their beds without losing someone was a victory, and all three knew it.

 

That changed on the fifth day after losing Abigail, when Eevie arrived at the Lewis place to find that Daniel Lewis had passed during the night. When she found him lying still and gray beside his brother in bed her heart sank. She reached out and brushed back locks of dark brown hair, no longer damp with sweat, his flesh too cool against her touch. “Oh, Danny.” She whispered, heart aching for him, and for his family. She went through the motions of cleaning everyone and changing out the bedding, finding a tablecloth for Daniel, as there were no sheets or blankets to spare for his shroud. She spread the tablecloth out onto the floor and softly recited the Lord’s Prayer as she prepared him for his grave, carefully sponging him clean and dressing him in his Sunday suit, a task made awkward and difficult by death’s stiffening of his limbs. Once she had him carefully wrapped up, she found Freda Lewis’ sewing kit, and stitched him into his shroud.

 

Then she left him on the floor to tend to the others, knowing that she wouldn’t be able to get him to the family plot, where the Lewises had buried two other children since coming to Babel. It wasn’t until everyone had been tended to and had been fed and cleaned that Eevie got into her wagon and went to get Wade.

 

When she reached his house, she didn’t find him there, but she did find Wade Junior lying on his back in the small pen that Wade had cobbled together for him. Wade Junior grinned a toothless smile at Eevie when he saw her, and kicked his legs excitedly, waving about the sugar tit he gripped but no longer sucked on.

 

“And where is your papa, little man?” Eevie asked with a soft smile, an ache lodged firmly in her heart at the sight of the healthy, smiling baby. She went over to the pen and scooped him up to give him a cuddle, and to check the status of his diaper. “You’re all wet,” She sighed, “Let’s get you changed while we wait for your papa. He’s at the Odinson farm helping out with Peter Parker, I bet.” She had checked on Peter before going to the Lewises, and he had said that he would be going to check on the Odinsons soon.

 

Eevie sang a soft lullaby to Wade Junior as she changed him deftly, setting the wet diaper out to dry so it could be used again later. Briefly, she allowed herself the pleasant fantasy that it was her child she was singing to, had cuddled against her side. Only briefly, however, for the memory of those precious sixteen minutes when she had been a mother could not be put aside, not for all the money or pleasant fantasies in the world. She had to content herself with those sixteen minutes she told herself fiercely, for with the way things were going—with the way things had gone up until now—it might be all the taste of motherhood she would ever have.

 

She was seated in Vanessa’s rocking chair, cuddling with Wade Junior when Wade stepped through the door.

 

“Is everything all right?” He asked Eevie worriedly, “Are you hurt?”

 

“No more than usual.” Eevie sighed, before looking up to him, “I need help with a burying.”

 

Wade’s shoulders slumped. “Shit,” He swore, “Who did we lose?”

 

“Daniel Lewis.” Eevie looked back down to Wade Junior, “I expect we’ll be losing Drake soon, as well. The two of them had it worse than the others.”

 

“Poor Freda and Herschel.” Wade sighed, “I’ll go over and take care of it, I know where their family plot is. Will you stay with Junior and Vanessa? It’s about time to feed the two of them.”

 

“Of course.” Eevie agreed, “I’ll get this little one settled first, so I can take my time with Vanessa.” They could not rush in feeding the invalids; it was difficult enough to get them to take in any food or water as it was. Rushing meals only made them choke and sputter, and left more of the food on their clothing and the bedding than in their stomachs.

 

“Thank you, Eevie. Do you think you can make another batch of chicken soup tonight? I brought a few of the hens from the Odinsons, and some vegetables from their garden.”

 

“That will be easy enough,” Eevie said, closing her eyes and taking comfort in the weight of the baby on her lap. The food to feed those who had fallen ill came from all of the farms. There were simply not enough people to tend the gardens or the crops, but they were able to look after the livestock—mostly; eggs had gone ungathered on all the farms for a while, and Eevie knew that there would be quite a few chicks running around in the next month. That was a probably a blessing, considering how many chickens were being placed in the soup pot, though Eevie made the birds stretch as far as they could. Between the chicken broth and the thin gruels made from cornmeal or farina mixed with milk, they were managing to keep everyone fed. Eevie would have liked to say that everyone was well fed, but the invalids took in so very little per meal… She could see how they all were beginning to lose weight, and it worried her greatly.

 

 _We just have to try all the harder, and pray this is over soon,_ she thought with a sigh as she rose. “I’ll make certain to fix something for you as well. I know you haven’t eaten well since Vanessa fell ill.”

 

“I can manage. Bacon sandwiches are easy enough.” Wade said, “Just keep us supplied with bread, and I won’t starve.”

 

“You’re not allowed to starve. We need you too badly.” Eevie shot back, before hesitating. “Wade, I… I wanted to thank you. I’m sorry it took so long, but I couldn’t…” She took a breath to brace herself. “Thank you. I don’t know how I would have managed if you hadn’t been with me when… Well. On that day.”

 

“Eevie, you don’t need to thank me for that.” Wade told her gently, walking towards her, “I only did what any decent person would have done. I’m just glad you were here so I could help. Could you imagine what it would have been like if you had still been at the Parker’s? Peter would have fainted.”

 

A breath of laughter escaped Eevie, the first bit of mirth she had felt in what seemed like forever, “I don’t think he would have reacted quite so poorly, but… I’m still glad it was you. You knew more about what was going on than I did, and you certainly knew what to do and expect.”

 

“Don’t be too glad, I haven’t sent you my bill yet.” He teased.

 

“Oh? And what exactly are you going to be charging me on this invoice of yours?”

 

“I get to be Uncle Wade for all your children, you get to be Aunt Eevie to mine. You also have to have us over for every holiday dinner you plan on preparing.”

 

She let out an amused snort, “Oh, is that all? Every holiday dinner?”

 

“Well, for the next ten years, at least.”

 

“I think I can agree to that. As long as your wife and my husbands don’t mind.”

 

“As soon as they get better, we’ll talk them around.” Wade assured her, chucking her under her chin. “And they will get better. Now, keep that up,” He told her firmly, meaning her chin, “And keep smiling, even when it doesn’t feel like there is anything worth smiling for. _Especially_ when it doesn’t feel there is anything worth smiling for. You can’t let this break you.”

 

“I’ll try.” Eevie said softly, “It’s… It’s hard.”

 

“I know. The pain is still raw. But it will get better.” He told her firmly, before putting his hat back upon his head, “I’ll go and take care of Danny Lewis. I’ll be back when I can.”

 

“I’ll hold things down here. Thank you.” Eevie said once more, feeling oddly better after the exchange, lighter somehow. Sorrow still weighed her down, but Wade had helped to throw her a lifeline of sorts; while she still didn’t feel that she could smile, she was reminded that there were still things in the world that were worth smiling over. This would pass, and everyone would recover. They were in the middle of the danger period now but had only lost Daniel thus far. That had to be a sign that things would soon be improving.

 

Those hopeful thoughts were proven wrong the next morning, when she found that Drake Lewis had passed in the night.

 

Feeling weary down to her soul once more, she went to the Parker homestead this time. She couldn’t turn to Wade every time she had a problem; the burden was too much for the two of them to shoulder alone. As much as she hated to think it, it was Peter’s turn to help her shoulder the heavy load of lying a small body to rest.

 

Peter came running out of the small house as Eevie approached, trying to flag her down. She pulled into the drive, bringing the horses to a halt.

 

“Woah there,” She looked down to Peter, “What is it, what’s wrong?”

 

“It’s Uncle Ben,” Peter stammered out, “He’s taken a turn.”

 

Eevie’s heart sank further, “Oh, Peter-”

 

“-I’m going to go for the doctor. There has to be something he can do.” Peter said, a note of desperation in his voice.

 

“Peter,” Eevie struggled to find the right words, wanted to tell him that the doctor had said that it was entirely up to the will of God who would survive this scourge, that the doctor was just as powerless as the rest of them, but Peter plunged onward.

 

“Please, Eevie, I need you to sit with them. Please. While I get the doctor.”

 

“Peter, you should stay with him until-”

 

“Please, Eevie. _Please._ ” He pleaded, and Eevie sighed, nodding.

 

“I’ll sit with your aunt and uncle.” She promised him.

 

“You have to sit with them, you can’t go and do other things.” There was desperation in his voice as he took a few small, skittering steps back, “You have to stay with them.”

 

“I won’t leave their side.” Eevie assured as she slowly got down from the wagon seat.

 

“Thank you.” He said, before bolting for where his horse was picketed. Eevie saw to the comfort of her horses, before going into the house.

 

She checked on May and Ben, then sighed. May seemed to be doing all right, or as close to all right as someone as sick as she was could be. Ben… Ben reminded her of how Daniel and Drake had been, with deep, rasping breaths that showed he was struggling to breathe. He did not have long left, and Eevie wished that Peter had spent the time at Ben’s side, giving what comfort his presence could, instead of riding for the doctor on a fool’s errand.

 

Eevie moved about the room, doing what she could; bathing both May and Ben, trying to make them comfortable. Then, she sat in the chair that Peter had brought into the room and held Ben’s hand, closing her eyes and whispering a prayer when his great, heaving breaths stopped, ending with a long, slow exhale that rattled in his throat.

 

It was another half an hour before Peter returned. She heard the hoofbeats pounding upon the packed earth of the wagon trail that served as a road, and sighed. From the time it took for the hoofbeats to stop outside the house and the door to be thrown open, she knew he had not tended to his horse, but had just tethered it out front.

 

Then he was hurrying into the bedroom, almost stumbling over his feet. “Missus Barnes-Rogers, I mean Eevie…” He came to a halt as she looked up at him, so weary from loss, so weighed down with sorrow.

 

“What did the doctor say?” Eevie asked softly as the young man stared at the still form of his uncle in confusion and shock.

 

“He… Doctor Streiten is dead.” Peter sounded like a lost child. “Uncle Ben…?”

 

“I’m sorry, Peter. He left us not long ago.”

 

Peter shook his head in denial, his face starting to crumple, and Eevie quickly rose to go to him. She wrapped her arms around the young man and held him as he began to sob. He managed to choke out the words that he should have been there, he shouldn’t have left, but Eevie shushed him.

 

“We didn’t know he was that sick, we thought there was still time.” She tried to soothe him, “And you were riding for the doctor, it wasn’t as if you had abandoned him.” She pointed out.

 

“But I wasn’t here!” Peter protested, “I should have been here with him!”

 

“You made certain he wasn’t alone,” Eevie protested, brushing back his unruly brown hair, “And you were trying to get help for him. I’m certain he understands that, where he is now.”

 

Peter continued to cry for a time, and Eevie held him, until he finally drew away, swiping at his tears with the back of his hands. “I… Can you help me? With the burying?”

 

“I will, but we’re also going to need Wade Wilson. I don’t think we can manage this by ourselves.” Eevie sighed, “And then I’ll need one of you to help me at the Lewis house. We lost Drake today.”

 

Peter let out a distressed noise, and Eevie rubbed her hand slowly up and down his back until he had composed himself again.

 

“I’ll go ride for Mister Wilson. I can’t… I can’t…” Peter looked to the lifeless form of his uncle, lips trembling, tears welling up in his eyes once more, and Eevie gently turned him away from the sight.

 

“I’ll take care of things here.” She promised. “Go and get Wade.”

 

“Thank you, Eevie.” Peter said, before he made his way from the room, head bowed, shoulders slumped. Eevie watched him go before sighing, turning back to the bed, steeling herself for what needed to be done.

 

When Wade arrived he helped Eevie with Ben, sending Peter out with a shovel and orders to pick a nice place for Ben to rest. Together the two got Ben dressed in his Sunday best and stitched into a shroud, then Eevie fetched Peter to help Wade carry Ben out to the graveside.

 

Once the burial was completed, the three wearily went back to the Lewis farm to tend to Drake. Heartsore, Wade and Peter went to dig the grave, while Eevie remained behind to tend to the sick, praying that all would be well at home as she did so.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I promise, we have almost made it through the woods.


	32. Chapter 32

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is no loss without some gain.

Eevie tried to keep track of the days, but they were all beginning to run together. To her, it began to feel as if the weeks were marked solely by loss. First George, then Abigail, then there had been the loss of the Lewis boys, followed two days later by their father, Herschel. Now—only three days after losing Herschel—she saw the swelling and discoloration showing on Isaac's lower belly and knew that she would be facing another loss very soon. Eevie grieved for Becca; losing a child was hard enough, but to lose her husband as well? The double blow was going to devastating, and Eevie was terrified that it would destroy her sister-in-law. Her friend.

 

And Eevie was going to need to be the one to break the news to her.

 

The very thought of it made Eevie’s stomach churn with anxiety, even though she knew that the telling would come at a future date. Currently, she had to make it through the loss of Isaac.

 

Eevie did her best to make her brother-in-law as comfortable as she could. From the grimace on his face she could tell that he was in pain, so she brewed a small amount of willow bark tea that she carefully dribbled down his throat. He seemed to rest a little easier after that, for which she was grateful.

 

When the end came, it was abrupt, as most endings were. One moment he was breathing, the next he expelled his last lungful of air with a choking rattle in his throat. Eevie blinked back her tears, and began to prepare his body as best she could.

 

Then she rode to ask Wade and Peter to come and help her with the body. She couldn't lift Isaac; she had barely been able to dress him. It had been the same with Herschel; preparing him for the grave had taken all three of them working together.

 

When she told Wade, he swore and hit the door with the side of his fist in frustration. “We're in the fourth week! Everyone is supposed to be getting better!” He snarled out.

 

“Some of them are improving.” She pointed out, “Loki, Steinbjorn, and Darcy are no longer delirious. It’s only three people, but it's a start.”

 

“It's still shitty.” Wade muttered.

 

“It is,” Eevie agreed, “But things are still better today than they were last week.”

 

“True.” He sighed, raking a hand through his sandy hair, “Let me get Junior situated in his pen. I'll bring a shovel. Do you have something for a grave marker?”

 

“I have a board. That will have to do until we can arrange something more permanent, once everyone is well again.” Eevie sighed, thinking of all the grave markers that would need to be made in the coming months. She doubted any of them could spare the expense for proper headstones, but wooden grave markers would be an expense most could afford, if they didn’t make the markers themselves. They had been using solitary boards to mark graves so far, but she felt that the deceased needed something more than that.

 

“It will do for now.” Wade agreed, “I’ll be by soon.”

 

“Thank you, Wade.”

 

“Thank me by cooking me supper.” He retorted, and Eevie gave a half smile, though her heart wasn’t in it.

 

“I’ll cook supper for the three of us. You, me, and Peter.” She promised, before heading back out to her horse. She would be late on checking on everyone today, but they could wait a while longer, she decided. At least no one was developing bedsores yet, thank the Lord for small mercies. There were rashes from lying in their own bodily waste—the diarrhea was finally over for everyone now, thank God—but some things couldn’t be helped. She could only tend the people and clean up as best she could twice a day. She didn’t have the time or the strength to do more than that, no matter how much she wished things were otherwise.

 

Dinner at her house that night was a quiet affair, but it was a necessary one. The three of them—Eevie, Wade, and Peter—needed to stop and take some time for themselves every so often, despite the needs of the invalids. It was Wade who had first insisted, pointing out that none of them would be of any use to anyone else if they worked themselves to the point of exhaustion. Eevie hadn’t needed much convincing; she had already worked herself near enough to exhaustion and had lost so much in doing so. Peter had needed more convincing, but had come around soon enough, though he was always antsy, wanting to get back to the house to check on his Aunt. Where Eevie’s mantra was _“I can’t lose them,”_ she suspected that both Wade and Peter’s were _“I can’t lose her,”_ regarding both Vanessa and May, respectively.

 

The following day was a jubilant one for Wade; when Eevie stopped to check on him and Vanessa, he was all relieved smiles.

 

“She’s sleeping,” He told Eevie, “Actually sleeping, not delirious or just lying there in some sort of place between here and Hell. She woke up for a while, asked if Junior was all right, drank a cup of mush, and then fell asleep.”

 

“Wade, that’s wonderful!” Eevie said, overjoyed for the man.

 

“I know we’re not out of danger yet, but at least the finish line is in sight.” Wade said, “What about your husbands? Your sister? Any sign of improvement there?”

 

Eevie shook her head, smile fading. “No. I think the fevers are finally breaking, so… I’m hopeful.”

 

“They’ll pull through. With all the tender loving care you’ve given them… They’ll pull through.”

 

“Just like Isaac did?” She asked him wearily, her shoulders slumping at his words. “I did the same for him, and for everyone else, that I’m doing for the ones I love the most. Doctor Streiten said it would all be in God’s hands, but… What if this is a punishment, Wade?”

 

He frowned, “I don’t follow.”

 

“A punishment for Steve, Bucky, and me. What if God is taking the opportunity to punish us for the sin of loving more than one person, being married to-”

 

“-No.” Wade interrupted firmly. “You stop right there, Evelyn Barnes-Rogers. This is _not_ a punishment. Not a punishment for you, and not a punishment for anyone else. It is a _tragedy_. The sending down of plagues was a pile of Old Testament horseshit, and we’re living the New Testament right now. You’ve worked harder than anyone else to make certain that as many people as possible pull through this nightmare, and I don’t see how anyone could punish you after everything you’ve been doing. Especially not for something as natural as loving more than one person. Love isn’t set in stone, isn’t meant to be hoarded up by only one person in your life.” Wade said vehemently, “Of course it’s all right to love more than one person, that’s why hearts have an endless capacity for it. I learned that one the hard way; I never thought I would love anything more than myself, and then Vanessa walked into my life. I was happy as hell with her, swore that was it, I couldn’t love anyone any more than that, then we had Wade Junior and I found out that even my withered, self-centered heart is capable of growing. And it’ll be the same for the next kid, and the next. It’s the same with you—you’re family now whether you like it or not, Evelyn Barnes-Rogers—because I love you like a sister and after surviving this hell with you I’m not going to shut you out and say ‘sorry, I can only love so much, you’re on your own from here on out’. That’s not who I am anymore. Love taught me that, got me to change, and I’m certain it did the same damn thing for you. Love like that doesn’t get punished. It gets celebrated. So don’t you ever even _think_ that this is all about you and your sins again, Evelyn.”

 

Eevie stared at him, wide-eyed, not expecting such a heated, emotional response. “I’m sorry.” She finally said, “I’m just scared, and…” Tears were welling up in her eyes; she was unable to blink them away, keep them from rolling down her cheeks, “And after George, and Abigail, and now Isaac… I just… Why is it my family? And the Lewis family? Why do we have to lose so much, Wade? You’re talking about love and how we can hold so much of it… But what about when it’s ripped away from you, leaving nothing but a gaping wound where your heart used to be? That can’t be anything but a punishment.”

 

“That’s not a punishment, that’s just nature. Babies die, they die easier than anyone else. They’re too small for this world, and yours was the smallest of all.” He stepped towards her and pulled her into his arms, “I don’t know why it’s your family, or the Lewises, or even the Parkers, but I know that the loving God that Vanessa introduced me to wouldn’t strike down an entire town to punish just one family.”

 

“I don’t think we’ve been reading the same bible.”

 

“Old Testament horseshit.” He repeated, “Jesus died for our sins. None of the stuff that came before applies after that.”

 

“You sound so certain.” She rested her forehead against his shoulder feeling so worn down, at the absolute frayed end of her tether. She needed this nightmare to be over, and then to sleep for a month.

 

“That’s because I am. I have had several heated discussions with the Reverend Coulson on the subject.” He was rubbing comforting circles into her back, and she found herself missing Steve and Bucky so much that it hurt. That was how they had always soothed her, and it felt wrong to have Wade doing it now, but it was better that than nothing. “You’re still just a kid, Eevie. Epidemics happen all the time, all over the world. The reason that it’s here in Babel at this time in history… It’s just really, really bad luck on our part. There isn’t a trace of divine intervention to any of this. Just shitty luck and infected food.”

 

“I hope you’re right.”

 

“I know I’m right. And our luck is going to start changing any minute now. You’ll see. More people are coming out of this thing, we’re almost out of the woods. You have to keep that in mind.”

 

“I’ll try.”

 

“Try harder.” He said firmly. “Now come with me to the Odinson place. We’re overdue there.”

 

She nodded, pulling away from him. The man had a foul mouth at times, but his words were just what she needed to bolster her spirit over the next few days.

 

 _They’ll start mending soon, any day now,_ she told herself as she went to climb onto her horse, _any day now. I paid the price; I won’t lose them. I can’t._

 

She held that thought close during Isaac’s burial, through all the hours of the days that followed.

 

Two days later, as the sun was beginning to rise but before the rooster had crowed, the heavy thud of something hitting the floor in the other room startled her awake. She sat up and blinked owlishly in the pre-dawn gloom, trying to figure out what it was that had woken her so suddenly, when she heard another, softer thud. The sound of someone hitting or kicking at the wooden floor.

 

She was on her feet and bolting into the bedroom Steve and Bucky were in in an instant, scrambling around the bed to find Steve sprawled on the floor in a filthy, damp nightshirt.

 

“Oh, love,” She sighed, wondering how she was going to manage to get him back into bed. She’d need to ask Wade and Peter for their help.

 

Then Steve raised his head, looked towards her. “Eevie?” He rasped out, and she gasped, stunned into immobility for only a heartbeat, before she quickly dropped to her knees beside him.

 

“I’m here,” She said, blinking back tears of joy and relief as he looked at her with clear eyes, recognized her, though he was clearly worn to the bone and weak as a new kitten, “I’m here, love. I’ve been right here.”

 

“I soiled the bed. I tried to get up, but…”

 

“It’s all right,” She hastened to assure him, “Don’t worry about the accident; you’ve been very ill, you won’t be feeling quite yourself for a while.” She helped to ease him onto his side, “I’ll heat up water to clean you up.”

 

“I’ll just… Stay down here.” Steve gave her a faint smile, “Don’t think I could go anywhere if I wanted to.”

 

“Probably not.” She agreed, brushing back locks of hair that were stiff with dried sweat, relieved to find his skin cooler to the touch than it had been for weeks.

 

“How long have I been sick?” Steve asked, “I don’t… Things are a haze.”

 

“It’s been… It’s been a few weeks.” Eevie sighed, “You and Bucky have both been very ill. I need to check on him; you’re the first one in this house to recover.”

 

“This house?” Steve asked, frowning.

 

Eevie snatched his pillow from the bed and slipped it under his head, “Don’t you worry about it just yet. I’ll go and get the water to sponge you down.”

 

“A real bath is out of the question?”

 

She hesitated. “I’ll bring the tub in here. We’ll see if you can get into it, but if not, it’s a sponge bath, all right?” She asked, knowing that Steve likely wouldn’t be able to manage getting into the tub. “Then I’ll make you up a pallet down here on the floor. I don’t think I can get you back into the bed, and I can’t clean the straw tick out just yet anyway.”

 

Steve frowned, and Eevie staved off questions by kissing her fingertips and pressing them to his lips. “I’ll be right back.” She assured him, rising and hurrying to put water on to heat, heart singing with joy. Steve was on the mend, which meant that Bucky would be soon, and Becca as well. Relief filled her, and hope as well. She had only clung to faith before, there had been no real hope in her since losing Abigail, but now… Now she had hope.

 

She held onto that hope as the day wore on. She worked to get Steve comfortable; he did actually manage to get into the tub, despite her doubts regarding his abilities. It was a very near thing, but he still managed it. Getting into the tub was all he was able to manage, however, and it was up to Eevie to bathe him, not that she minded in the least. Getting him out of the tub was more of a challenge than getting him into it, and by the time they got him dried, dressed, and onto the pallet she had arranged for him, he was winded and visibly exhausted.

 

“I’ll heat up some broth for you,” She suggested, brushing back his hair affectionately.

 

“Only if it’s no trouble.” He tried to protest, “Where’s Bucky?”

 

She sighed, “He’s still in bed. I need to check on him, and on Becca. She’s in the other room.”

 

Steve frowned, “Isaac and George?”

 

Eevie shook her head only slightly, and Steve stared at her, uncomprehending a moment, before his expression turned to one of grief. “When?”

 

“We lost Isaac two days ago. George… We lost him very early on. Becca hasn’t… She doesn’t know yet. She’s not aware enough to know.”

 

“Like me and Bucky.”

 

“Just like that.” She sighed. “I’ll heat up the broth and check on them, then come back to you, all right?”

 

“Take your time.” He gave her a small smile. “I’ll be here.”

 

“You had better be.” She said firmly, before moving to place a kiss on his forehead. “I love you.”

 

“I love you. Forever and always.”

 

She couldn’t help but smile at that. “Forever and always.” She agreed, before going to heat up the broth for him. She went through her usual morning routine of caring for Bucky and Becca before taking the broth to Steve, who had slipped into a doze by then. She woke him, and managed to get a full cup of broth into him, explaining that she’d do the wash and then had to go and check on the neighbors. Steve indicated his understanding and once he had finished drinking his breakfast, she got him settled back down onto his pallet. Then she carefully fed Bucky and Becca, yearning for the two of them to wake. Her family was not whole, would not be whole for some time to come, but she wanted them all with her so they could learn to navigate their new normal together.

 

She left a chamber pot beside Steve, looking over his sleeping form with relief once more, before going to do the wash. She checked inside periodically, worried about leaving Steve alone too long now that he was cognizant of the world around him once more. Despite that, things still needed to be done, and people still needed to be checked on, so once she was done with the washing she went on her rounds.

 

She stopped by the Parker home only briefly, smiling at Peter’s exultation that May was beginning to recover, knowing exactly how he felt. She promised him that she would come by the following day and teach him how to clean the cover of the straw tick and sanitize it with a solution of chlorinated lime; a bleaching process that was going to be rough on their hands, but far quicker and more sanitary than leaving the fabric out in the sun for days on end.

 

Peter went with her to the Lewis household, where only Darcy had regained her senses thus far. After seeing to everything there, Eevie went on to the Wilson’s, where she sat with Vanessa and cuddled Wade Junior while Wade went with Peter to check in on the Odinson family, where Loki, Steinbjorn, and Jane were all recovering. Eevie left after only half an hour, wanting to get home to check on her family.

 

Steve was asleep once more when she checked on him, but the chamber pot had been used, and she was grateful for that. She quickly emptied, cleaned, and replaced it, before checking on Bucky and Becca, some of her optimism dampened by the fact that neither was beginning to mend—yet. She held onto that word, clinging to her newfound hope desperately.

 

They _would_ get better; Steve was proof of that. Steve, Vanessa, May, and all the others who were coming back from the typhoid state. _Just a little while longer,_ she told herself as she prepared a thin cornmeal gruel for dinner. _Just a little longer._


	33. Chapter 33

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is both rejoicing and weeping. Lots of weeping.

It was two more days before Bucky came back to them; when Eevie went to feed him his dinner that day and saw that he was sleeping peacefully, she found herself blinking back tears. Her hands had begun to shake and she quickly set the tin cup of gruel—farina and chicken broth, this time—on the nightstand as she tried to compose herself.

 

Eevie rapidly realized that composing herself was a lost cause, and she sank to the ground, hugging herself and trying to keep her sobs quiet so as not to alarm Steve or wake Bucky. Of course, thinking that she could manage to do that after everything that had happened and with all the pent-up emotion inside of her was foolish nonsense.

 

“Sweetheart?” Steve asked, sounding worried, almost panicked when the first loud sob escaped her.

 

“I’m happy!” She protested; the bed was between them and he wouldn’t be able to see her motions to him to stay down, “It’s all right,” She managed to choke out between her sobs.

 

“Bucky?” Steve’s question was more of a demand, and she would have had to have been deaf not to hear the anxiety in that one word.

 

“He’s sleeping. Proper sleep, not…” And then she lost the ability to talk, needing to give over entirely to the emotions that consumed her.

 

“Eevie?” Her name was croaked out, the voice rusty from disuse, and she looked up to find Bucky peering down at her over the side of the bed, looking like he was going to fall out of it.

 

“It’s fine. I’m fine.” She repeated, quickly getting to her feet, scrubbing at her face with the corner of her apron, “I… Oh God, Bucky, you’re going to be all right.”

 

He looked completely bewildered, “Course I am.” He said, struggling to sit up, but she pushed him back down as gently as she could. “Bed’s wet.” He protested, struggling to get up again.

 

“I know. I need you to bear it a little longer. I want you to try and get your dinner into you, and then I’ll get you set up on a pallet on the floor—just like Steve—until I can get the bed scrubbed and stuffed with fresh hay.”

 

“Stevie and I can-”

 

“James Barnes, you can’t even lift up your head.” She pointed out, tears still running down her cheeks, “I’ll manage. Don’t you worry about that. Come now, I need you to try and eat this.” She picked the tin cup up from the nightstand, “It won’t be particularly appetizing, but it will be easy on your stomach.”

 

Bucky managed a nod, “What were we down with?” He asked her, not needing to ask if they had been sick; it was obvious to him that he had been, and as she had mentioned Steve being on a pallet and not in bed, he could only assume that Steve had been down with the same thing.

 

“You don’t need to worry about that right now.” She said as she settled onto her knees beside the bed.

 

“She won’t tell me either.” Steve called, “Glad you’re awake, Buck.”

 

“I haven’t told you because it won’t do either of you any bit of good to know.” Eevie said tartly, blinking back more tears.

 

“Yellow fever?” Bucky asked, as helped to raise his head so he could drink down his meal more easily.

 

“Hush, love. Just eat.” She murmured, earning a grumble, but Bucky awkwardly drank down the gruel. Once she had the food into him, she began the same arduous process with him that she had with Steve; bath and all, ending with getting him settled on a pallet beside Steve’s, knowing that the two men would rest better if they could see one another.

 

Just as she was getting Bucky settled, she heard a weak call. She straightened quickly, “That will be Becca. Both of you try and rest; if you need anything, just call.” She told them, before hurrying out and racing to the other room, where she found Becca trying to sit up. “No you don’t,” She said gently, going to Becca’s side, “I know, the bed is awful, but it was the best we could do. You’ve been terribly ill, Becca, and you need to stay abed.”

 

“Isaac was sick,” Becca murmured, “And George.”

 

“They were.” Eevie agreed softly, “Don’t you worry on them right now; we need to worry about you, and getting you better.”

 

“Where are they?” Becca asked plaintively.

 

“They're… They're together.” It wasn't a lie, not exactly, Eevie justified it to herself. They were together; buried side by side, and no doubt in Heaven together.

 

The words seemed to be enough for Becca, and Eevie promised her a bath and a clean pallet, as a clean bed would take a few days. Becca was easier for Eevie to move around, she could almost lift the other woman. Once water was heated and the tub in place, Eevie got Becca into the tub, careful to use only lukewarm water, not hot. At Becca's request, Eevie scrubbed her hair, and Becca released a moan that was nearly sexual in natures as Eevie's fingers worked at her scalp.

 

“I love you dearly, but you're my sister. No more sounding like that. You'll give the others improper thoughts.” Eevie teased, making the other woman smile.

 

“I'm sorry, I just feel… Getting clean has never felt so wonderful.”

 

“I can imagine. I've sponged you down at least twice every day, but… It isn't the same as a real bath and having your hair scrubbed.”

 

“I'm so tired.” Becca murmured once Eevie was done with her hair, and had combed it out a bit to dry it before securing it in a neat braid.

 

“I know. You're very weak and worn out. You've been through a great deal. You haven't been eating much at all, only invalid foods, so you won't have your usual strength.” Eevie finished bathing her, “Why don't you sit and soak a minute, while I set up that pallet for you? It won't be terribly comfortable, but it will be better than lying in that filthy bed until I can get that taken care of.”

 

“Thank you, Eevie. For everything.”

 

Eevie sighed, “I… Don't thank me yet. Besides, you would have done the same thing if things had been different.”

 

“Of course. You're family.” The room lapsed into silence while Eevie arranged the last of the clean bedding—taken from Becca's house—into a comfortable pallet on the floor. Then she looked to Becca, who seemed to have fallen asleep in the tub.

 

“Becca?” Eevie asked softly, “Becca, we need to get you out of the tub.”

 

Becca sighed, but didn't open her eyes.

 

“Becca, you'll catch a chill.” Eevie said in a firmer tone, placing a hand on Becca's shoulder. “Wake up now.”

 

“I'm awake.” Becca murmured, before reluctantly opening her eyes. “When can I see George?”

 

“Let's get you into bed.” Eevie said instead of answering the question, picking up a towel and then helping Becca to stand. She got Becca dry and then into the nightgown she had scrubbed that morning, then she carefully got Becca situated into the bed.

 

“His basket is here.” Becca frowned, and Eevie's gaze snapped to the offending item.

 

“Oh hell.” She groaned, then clamped a hand over her mouth. She had been spending far too much time with Wade Wilson.

 

Becca looked to Eevie, shocked, and then despairing as she realized what it meant. “George and Isaac… They're together?”

 

Eevie nodded slowly, hand still over her mouth.

 

“But… Not here?”

 

Eevie lowered her hand and shook her head to indicate that no, they were not.

 

“In Heaven?”

 

“Becca, I… I'm so sorry.” Eevie whispered, “I did everything I could, but they were so sick… The doctor said that some people… I did everything I could. The same things I've done for you and Steve and Bucky and some of the neighbors. We just… We couldn't save everyone, and I'm so sorry.”

 

Becca let out an agonized wail, and without even thinking about it, Eevie lay down beside her and held her sister-in-law tight, weeping with her, Sharing in Becca's pain and grief. She knew that compared to Becca her grief was a solitary drop in the ocean, but that didn't mean that she wasn't hurting from the loss.

 

Finally, Becca’s sobs subsided, and Eevie was left rubbing slow circles into her back.

 

“I don't know how, but… It will all come out right somehow.” Eevie finally murmured, “We have to-”

 

“Come out right? _Come out right?”_ Becca practically snarled out, striking at Eevie, “That's easy for the woman who still has her husbands and baby to say!”

 

 _My baby. Abigail._ Eevie thought, the hollow feeling inside her that she was beginning to consider her new normal suddenly filled by a wave of grief so immense that it nearly washed her away with it _. My baby is dead._

 

The first sob was barely more than a hiccup, the second larger, and Becca stared at Eevie in horror, tears still in her eyes, staining her cheeks. Now it was Becca who had a hand over her mouth, horror-struck.

 

“Oh, Eevie, that was so hateful of me, I'm sorry." She managed, before grabbing for Eevie's hands, “Bucky and Steve, are they… Did they…?” She couldn't finish, couldn't bring herself to ask if she had lost her brother or her brother-in-law as well as her husband and her child.

 

In that moment, Becca prayed with everything in her that the two men were still alive. She didn't know that her heart could take another loss.

 

Eevie shook her head, managing to choke out the words that they were fine. Becca felt relief, and then dread.

 

“The baby?”

 

“She came early.” Eevie tried to say, “She… I named her Abigail. She's next to George.”

 

The mention of her son brought more tears to Becca's eyes, and then she was sobbing again as well. The two women clung to each other for comfort and reassurance as they wept, gave voice to their pain.

 

Becca, still exhausted from her illness, soon cried herself to sleep. Eevie, still not recovered from the birthing and exhausted from all the heavy work she had done was asleep minutes later. The weeping and giving over to grief and sorrow had been a catharsis, but one that she would not succumb to again, not until everything and everyone was better, she promised herself in those drifty moments before sleep.

 

~*~

 

Steve and Bucky said nothing about the sounds of grief or weeping when Eevie woke and went to check on them. They were both sleeping, tangled together like puppies after a long day. She smiled to see them so, and carefully lowered herself to sit beside them, stroking back Bucky's hair, noting that he and Steve were both getting a little shaggy. She'd have to fix that once they were better, she decided.

 

Bucky's eyelids fluttered open and he turned his head so that he could smile up at her sleepily.

 

“Hey, darlin'.”

 

“Hay is for horses.” She teased softly, running her thumb over his cheekbone. “But hey to you, anyway.”

 

“Steve told me. About Isaac and George.” He said quietly. Eevie sighed.

 

“I did what I could.”

 

“That's all anyone could have done.”

 

“I just wish it had been enough.”

 

“Don't beat yourself up, darlin'. You did what you could. The rest was up to God.”

 

“I suppose.” She agreed with a sigh. “How are you feeling?”

 

“Tired. A bit achy. And pretty weak.” He gave her a wry half-grin. “Steve said it’s the same for him.”

 

“You should be resting still.”

 

“I think this is pretty restful, being in the arms of my husband and talking to my wife.”

 

She couldn't help but to smile. “When you put it like that, I guess it is.” She sighed then, feeling her exhaustion. The unexpected nap had helped, but not much. “I need to go and check on the neighbors.”

 

“Steve said something about that,” Bucky frowned at her as he reached up to cup her cheek, “You should stay home. You look too pale, worn. All this looking after others can't be good on the baby.”

 

Her heart clenched. _Oh God, the baby._ They still thought she was pregnant, she realized with something akin to horror. She had to tell them. But she couldn't, not now, not after telling Becca about George and Isaac. If she told them right now, she would start to cry again, and all three of them would need comforting.

 

“You let me worry about that.” She managed to say, looking away from him. “We have fifteen invalids still, and only three healthy people to care for the lot of you, so I have to help. I promised the doctor I would help.”

 

“How many have we lost?” He asked softly.

 

“Six.” She said, before sighing. They had lost Abigail as well, though not to the sickness. “No. Seven. We've lost seven.”

 

“Who?”

 

“Don't you worry on that. You just rest. I'll make dinner for us all when I get back.” She promised, forcing herself to stand and leave him, no matter how much she wanted to stay. She paused at the door, turning to look back at him. “I love you. Forever and always.”

 

“Forever and always.” Bucky agreed with a tired smile, before closing his eyes.


	34. Chapter 34

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which the bad news is delivered.

The following day was a busy one. Just as she had helped Wade and Peter scrub and bleach the straw ticks at their homes, they came to help her. Now that the invalids could use the chamber pots instead of soiling the bed constantly it was time to do the cleaning so they could get the straw ticks stuffed with fresh hay and back on the bedsteads. Eevie was glad that everyone had done their first hay cutting before the illness broke out; it made stuffing the straw ticks so much easier, even though they hay in question was mostly just prairie grass. Having needed to have Peter and Wade go out and do a cutting and then wait for it to dry would have been annoying at best, impossible at worst; the two men likely would have had the energy for the work after everything else they had been doing.

 

It took a day to scrub and bleach the straw ticks in a solution of chlorinated lime. Fearful of a resurgence of the disease, Eevie made them wash and then bleach each straw tick twice until all the stains had gone and the thick cotton fabric was a snowy white. They then left the ticks to dry for two days; the humidity of the prairie not helping things along at all, though the sun still did its work well. On the fourth day, Peter and Wade returned, helping Eevie to stuff the ticks full of fresh straw before she patiently stitched them closed again.

 

By this time Steve, Bucky, and Becca were feeling strong enough to sit in the front room. Becca was seated in Eevie's rocker while Steve and Bucky were in their armchairs. All three were only in their drawers and nightclothes, something that seemed to make them all uncomfortable with Wade and Peter helping move the mattresses into the house.

 

“Eevie,” Becca hissed when the two men had first entered, maneuvering a heavy and cumbersome straw mattress between them, “It isn't right for them to see us like this.”

 

Eevie paused then, a hand rubbing at her lower back, straw in her hair, feeling sweaty and irritable. This was an exhausting process that had happened in two households already, and still needed to happen in two more once they were finished here. Thankfully, she had only washed the ticks at the Lewis house the day before, but after she finished with the stuffing here, she was going with Peter to wash those at the Odinson home.

 

She tried to think of something to say, some way to soothe Becca's ruffled feathers, but Wade spoke first and ruined any chance she had.

 

“We've seen a lot more than just your nightgown, Missus Booth.” He grunted as he tried to keep the sack stuffed nearly to bursting from slipping from his grip and ending up on the floor. “Had to, when Eevie was laid up.”

 

Three gazes snapped to Eevie, who groaned.

 

“Thank you, Wade, I hadn't managed to tell them about that yet.”

 

“Figured as much. Now sit down and do it.”

 

“You don't get to tell me-”

 

“As your honorary older brother, yes I do. Now sit down and tell them, Evelyn.” Wade shot back, before making it into the bedroom with Peter and the mattress.

 

“You were sick?” Steve demanded, already starting to rise, “You need to-”

 

“You need to sit back down.” She huffed, pointing at his chair. He clenched his jaw and gave her a stubborn look that told her that he was done listening to her directives.

 

“Eevie-”

 

She wanted to snap and growl at him, but she gentled her tone. “I’ll get a chair from the table. Please sit back down.” Steve eyed her mistrustfully, but did as she said. That mistrust twisted in her chest like a knife through the heart and she had to turn away from him, glad of the excuse of fetching a chair.

 

She carried the chair over and sat in it, feeling as if she was facing a panel of judges. “All right.” She sighed, “I'm not even certain where to begin.”

 

“How about the part where you got sick too? And are acting like we can't lift a finger while you-” Bucky started, but Eevie shook her head, staring at her work roughened hands folded in her lap.

 

“I didn't get sick.”

 

“You were hurt?” Steve asked, his tone tightly controlled.

 

“Yes and no.” She closed her eyes and took a breath to steady herself before beginning to speak, keeping her eyes closed as she said the words. “The baby came early. Not even a week after you all went into the… After everyone was so sick that they lost their senses.”

 

She heard Steve's pained, sharp inhalation of breath, heard Bucky's startled, agonized “No!”

 

Eevie kept her eyes closed. She couldn't bear to look at them, knew that if she saw her pain and heartache reflected in their eyes she would break down into tears once more. There was too much for her to do, she couldn’t take any more time for tears.

 

“She's buried next to George. I named her Abigail.” The words came out a whisper. “Wade called her Abby. He was the one to deliver her.”

 

“Wade?” Bucky demanded, and she couldn't tell if he was outraged or furious or heartbroken. Perhaps all three. “Wade delivered-?”

 

“What about Constance or Doctor Streiten?” Steve sounded bewildered, “Why didn't you-?”

 

“There was no time.” Wade said as he entered the room. “If there was, believe me, I would have ridden to get them myself.”

 

“If they were even...” Eevie trailed off, before sighing. “Doctor Streiten is dead. I don't know when he died. Constance… I don't think any of us have heard from her since this started. She might be dead too, but we haven’t had much contact with anyone from elsewhere in town, so we can’t be certain.”

 

“We think that, if she could have, she would have come to check on Eevie.” Wade agreed quietly, “On all her expecting mothers. That she hasn’t… We think she fell sick as well.”

 

“Jesus wept.” Steve murmured. “What was it? That everyone was down sick with, I mean. Eevie won’t say.”

 

“She had good reason not to say. Leave you in happy ignorance of how close things were.” Wade muttered, before sighing. “It’s typhoid. All of Babel came down with typhoid. Eevie says that the doctor said that some of the food or something must have been contaminated at the festival. It’s the only time where everyone would have been in one place, eating and drinking the same things. We know Eevie didn’t get it because of her morning sickness, not sure how it passed me and Pete, here, but glad it did. Things would have been a hell of a lot worse if we had all been down. That one,” He pointed at Eevie, “Would have killed herself trying to keep us all alive. I don’t know when she would have finally backed off and decided she was only going to look after her own, but it would be long after I would have.”

 

“Or me.” Peter agreed quietly. “I was worried more about Aunt May and Uncle Ben than anyone else. Eevie… She was out every day, bringing food and cleaning people up, making sure no one would die from just not being able to eat or drink. It wasn’t until Wade came and told me about the baby that I realized I should have been doing more, the way she was.”

 

She shook her head, “If you had been the ones to talk to the doctor, he’d have made you promise too-”

 

“But we weren’t, and he didn’t.” Wade protested, before looking back to Steve. “What I’m trying to say is, it’s bad out there. We don’t know how bad, just that it’s bad. And… And it’s partially my fault that she lost the baby. If I had just-”

 

“Wade, you said none of us were allowed to talk like that.” Eevie reminded gently, feeling so empty still, not even able to cry. It was her fault and hers alone, she reminded herself. She had said that she would pay any price necessary to see that Bucky and Steve pulled through.

 

“Right. Sorry.” Wade sighed, before looking to Steve and Bucky, “I’m sorry for your loss. Es. Losses.” He added as he remembered they hadn’t just lost Abigail, “All your losses.”

 

“Thank you.” Becca said softly, looking rather forlorn. She forced a smile as she looked at her brother, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law, “And… You can always try again.”

 

The words, though they tried to be cheerful, cut Eevie through her heart and down to her soul, “Oh, Becca…” She wanted to reach for the other woman, but it was Bucky who moved first, quickly getting to his feet and moved to embrace his sister as her tears began to fall.

 

“I’m sorry, Becks. So damn sorry.” He whispered.

 

“Well, um, get the other mattress in.” Peter said, feeling as if he was intruding. Wade nodded, following the young man out of the little sod house, while the three invalids grieved over what had been, and what was lost to them.

 

~*~

 

After the tears had been dried (at least temporarily) and the mattresses were in place, Eevie made up the beds. Before putting the sheets on, she covered the mattresses in heavy canvas she had painted with linseed oil to waterproof it weeks before. She didn't think that there would be any more accidents, but some extra protection of the mattress just in case couldn't hurt.

 

Bucky frowned when he noticed that after she made up the beds she didn't pick up the blankets from her pallet on the floor of the main room. He kept his peace at first but as soon as dinner had been eaten (simple beans in broth; mild enough for the sensitive, shrunken stomachs of the invalids, but hearty enough to see Eevie, Peter, and Wade through the rest of day) and the two men had left, he spoke.

 

“You didn't pack up your pallet.” The words were half accusation, half petulance.

 

Eevie's shoulders sagged. She did not want to have this discussion right now. So, she ignored the question, and looked to Becca. “I'll help you to the necessary, and then back to bed.”

 

“Eevie-” Steve started to protest, but she shook her head.

 

“You'll have to wait your turn. And once I have the three of you settled, I have to go with Peter to the Odinsons.” She said firmly.

 

“Sweetheart, we need to talk.” Steve countered.

 

“Then we can talk tonight, after supper.”

 

“You feed us our supper and then vanish.” Bucky grumbled.

 

“I promise, tonight I'll come and talk to you after supper.” She sighed, looking at herself. “Well, after I take a bath.” She was going to want one badly after properly bleaching straw ticks all afternoon.

 

“You promise?” Steve asked. Eevie knew that he did not make promises lightly, and expected the same from others.

 

“I promise that I will come and talk to the two of you this evening, no matter what.” Eevie said as she helped Becca to her feet and slipped the other woman's arm over her shoulders so that she could help Becca balance. Steve was the strongest and could walk unaided for short distances, but both Bucky and Becca still needed assistance to walk even the short distance from the living room to the bedrooms. All three were weaker than they were used to, and tired so easily. Again, Steve was faring better than the other two, but he had regained his senses two days before Bucky and Becca.

 

And neither man looked happy with her. She sighed; she wanted to be back in bed with them at night, but they were still recovering. She was going to bed late and rising early as she tried to help keep the surrounding farms afloat and the inhabitants alive long enough to be able to care for themselves again. Her husbands needed their rest, not to wake up from her crawling over them to get into or out of bed.

 

There was also the worry that, as weak as they were, they might try to start something that none of them could finish. As comforting as it would be to feel their hands on her, she dreaded their touch as well. Her skin felt too sensitive at times, as if a simple touch might tear her open and leave her exposed and bleeding. She feared what would happen if she should fall pregnant again; she had already failed them twice. The first time there was nothing she could have done, but the second… She had worked too hard, knew that she had been working too hard, worked until her body could no longer sustain their daughter. She had paid the price—willingly, despite how much it ripped at her heart—in hopes that her husbands might live.

 

Their cause of all their pain was entirely her fault, and she knew that they would realize it soon enough, and come to hate her for it.

 

Eevie didn’t think she could bear seeing the disdain or the anger on their faces once they realized.

 

So, she decided to hold herself separate. To keep away as long as she could, so that she might try and survive their inevitable realization and their reactions to it with some small shred of her heart and spirit intact. No matter how much it might hurt her to keep away.

 

She saw Becca to the necessary and then put her to bed, before doing the same for her husbands, first Steve, and then Bucky. As she helped Bucky back into the house he paused in the entryway and she tensed, looking up at him in worry, only to find him smiling down at her with so much sorrow in his eyes.

 

“I love you.” He said quietly. “We both do. No matter what.”

 

The protest was a lump in her throat that she managed to swallow back, looking away. “I love the both of you too. So much. Too much.”

 

“There’s no such thing as loving too much.” Bucky countered as he began to move again, and she helped to support him.

 

“There is,” She countered softly, “I just hope you never learn that lesson.”

 

“Eevie, the baby-”

 

“-Let’s get you into bed.” She interrupted him. “You’re starting to shake, you’ve been pushing yourself too hard.”

 

“Pushing myself?” Bucky sputtered as she got him into the bedroom and headed towards the bed, “How can I push myself? You won’t let any of us do anything but sleep and eat!”

 

“Because I’m not losing anyone else.” She snapped out, before closing her eyes and trying to take a calming breath, “I’ve seen far too much death in the past month, James Barnes, and I will not let the reaper have anyone else under my care. Not while I still draw breath.”

 

“Eevie-” Steve started to protest, but she simply moved and made certain the chamber pots were on the floor beneath the bed on either side.

 

“I have to meet Peter at the Odinsons. Get some rest.” She ordered, before turning and walking swiftly from the room, earning a low growl of frustration from her husband.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're easing out of the depressing angsty bit, I promise. Soon.


	35. Chapter 35

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which things come to a head.

Eevie kept away the rest of the day, working hard at the Odinson farm, scrubbing everything until she was certain the skin on her hands would soon crack and start to bleed from the harsh chlorinated lime in the water and the lye soap she scrubbed with. She also took care to make them something to eat, and helped to feed all of them, particularly Jane, who was still so weak from the fever.

 

By the time she returned home it was late, and she peeked in on her husbands to see they were sleeping, doing the same with Becca. She sighed then, rather relieved, before bringing in the bath tub as quietly as she could. While water heated on the back of the stove, she prepared dinner for them; it was only hasty pudding, served with beans leftover from dinner, but it would be enough for all of them. And if there was any hasty pudding left over, she could fry the mush for breakfast the following day.

 

She carried in dinner to Becca first, using a broad board as a tray, pleased to see that Becca’s hands were steadier, and she had little trouble feeding herself without making a mess of it. After making certain Becca had eaten, Eevie helped her to the necessary and back, and then went to check on her husbands. She smiled to see them sleeping still, but sighed. They needed to eat. And then she needed the bathe.

 

Hopefully after that, they would be asleep, and their discussion would be put off another night.

 

“My loves, I’ve brought supper.” She called, and Steve rolled from his back to his side, reaching out and placing a hand on Bucky’s hip. She sucked in a breath at the pain that simple gesture brought her. No sleepy smile for her, or sweet words; instead he turned for Bucky immediately.

 

“I’ve brought supper,” She continued, a little louder as she stepped into the room. “It isn’t much, but it’s better than nothing.”

 

“The last time you said that, you forgot to put sugar in the pie.” Bucky mumbled, placing a hand over Steve’s before slowly sitting up. Eevie’s smile faded and she could not conceal the hurt on her face at those words. It was another not-so-subtle reminder that he and Steve had all they needed in one another, and she was constantly failing them. With her abysmal cooking (though it had improved) to the loss of their babies.

 

 _All I’m good for is taking care of the sick and keeping people alive, and I’m not even good at that,_ Eevie thought with more than some despair as she waited for the two to sit up so she could balance the board on the bed between them.

 

As they ate, barely speaking, the sorrow began to turn to resentment inside her.

 

Not a single word of praise or thanks for how well she had cared for them. Not from anyone. Of course, she hadn’t done it for praise or gratitude, but because it was the right thing to do. That didn’t mean that she didn’t want those things; everyone liked to have their efforts noticed and appreciated. The only ones who showed any appreciation at all were Wade and Peter, who deserved just as much appreciation for all they had done since this crisis had started. It was frustrating.

 

After they finished eating, they didn’t say anything about the quality of the food. She knew she shouldn’t expect much, it was only hasty pudding and beans, but she had sweetened the hasty pudding with molasses so that it would be more of a sweet treat than another meal of simple mush. Apparently, she couldn’t even do that right. She gathered up plates and cups and took them to the wash basin in the kitchen, before coming in and helping Bucky to his feet to get him to the privy, taking Steve once she got Bucky settled back into bed.

 

“You’ll come back for our talk after you wash up?” Steve asked her as she helped him back to bed.

 

“I don’t see what there is to talk about, but I did promise, so yes.” She sighed wearily. She just wanted a bath and to crawl into her bed.

 

“We’re going to talk about why you didn’t pick up that pallet in the front room.” Steve said firmly.

 

“Steve, no.” She protested as she pulled the blankets over him. “I’m not having this discussion tonight.”

 

“Eevie, you belong in bed with us.”

 

She belonged, not that they wanted her there. She supposed it hurt their pride to have her seek her rest elsewhere.

 

“You’re not well enough to have me joining you yet.” She countered as Bucky propped himself up on an elbow so he could look at her.

 

“We’re well enough to sleep next to you. Come back to bed tonight.” He said, but it didn’t look as if his heart was in it. He still looked worn out and too thin; they both did.

 

“I plan on going to bed tonight. In the front room.” Eevie said firmly, resolve crumbling a little when she saw how tired he looked. They had been through so much, she wanted to give them what they wanted… But also knew it wouldn’t be what was best for them, not really. It wasn’t what she deserved, anyway.

 

 _Say you want me there, call me Sweetheart or Darlin’ or anything at all, just tell me you want me,_ she thought, looking at the stubborn set of those tired faces. _Tell me it’s all right and you forgive me, and we can start again._ She wanted to say the words, but they stuck in her throat, and all that came out was, “I’m tired, and I know you two are as well.”

 

“Evelyn.” Steve said so firmly that she stiffened, remembering all the times she had been chastised back at the orphanage, “Stop being ridiculous. You’re coming to bed with-”

 

“Ridiculous?” She spat out, almost trembling from the outrage and the hurt, “ _Ridiculous?_ You’re saying that _I’m_ being ridiculous?”

 

His jaw was in the stubborn set she had seen only a few times, his brows lowered, looking at her as if he was both upset and disappointed in her. “Yes. You’re being ridiculous.”

 

If she had still been holding the supper dishes, she would have thrown them at him. “I have worked myself to the bone to keep you and our neighbors alive, I held George in my arms as he died, held Ben Parker’s hand and watched him die, and had to bury others, and you say that my caution is being _ridiculous?_ When I am not about to lose either one of you, even though you’ve both made it quite plain that you don’t particularly even _want_ me there with you?”

 

Steve looked baffled, and then furious, “You’re putting words in my mouth-”

 

“Tell me one nice thing you’ve said to me since you’ve fallen ill, Steven.” She spat out the challenge, before looking to Bucky, “Either of you. One kind word. You didn’t even try to console me when you found out that our daughter had died! You just sat there! And then Bucky went to comfort Becca!”

 

“She’s my sister!” Bucky protested.

 

“And I’m your _wife._ I lost our baby. _Our. Daughter._ The only reason either of you even wanted to marry me in the first place, and I can’t even do _that_ properly, and you never said a damn word of consolation to me!”

 

Steve started to get out of bed, and she snarled at him, “Don’t you dare get out of bed, Steven Grant Rogers! The both of you are going to stay there until morning, do you hear me?”

 

“Sweetheart-” Steve rose his voice, and she raised her hands as if she wanted to choke him.

 

“Don’t you ‘Sweetheart’ me! It’s too late for that! Just… Shut up, just shut up!” She snapped, “Shut up and stay in bed and go to sleep and _leave me alone before I kill you.”_ The last words were said at the top of her lungs, and if she had been holding anything, she certainly would have thrown it by that point. She turned and stormed out of the bedroom, shoving the curtain shut behind her, but that was not nearly as satisfying as slamming a door shut. So, she turned again and slammed her fists into the wall beside the door, hitting and kicking it as she wept frustrated, exhausted tears.

 

Finally, hands and feet bruised, heart aching and feeling like an empty husk, she turned and went to do the dishes and prepare herself a bath.

 

~*~

 

Eevie slept alone in her pallet on the floor that night, still fuming and heartsore. When she woke up the following morning, she was still so exhausted. She felt so bone weary that she didn’t think she could get out of bed, but she managed the deed somehow. She saw to her own needs before seeing to the livestock and starting breakfast, frying up slices of hasty pudding from the night before and lying them on plates. She then went to Steve and Bucky first, finding Steve trying to get out of bed on his own.

 

“You’ll hurt yourself.” She said flatly as she went to support him, “Here, lean on me.”

 

“Eevie, I-” He started, but she shook her head.

 

“Don’t. Just… Don’t.”

 

Steve pressed his lips together and clenched his jaw, but he gave a single nod of acquiescence. He had never seen a woman in such a display of temper as she had shown the night before, and for it to be Eevie? He had seen her mad at Bucky the once, had seen her get ready to hurl things at him, but he had never been the focus of her ire before. He also never expected for her to tell him to shut up, or threaten bodily harm. He was convinced that had either he or Bucky pushed her the night before, she would have come at them with the intent to do harm. She would have regretted it later, but that was beside the point.

 

What stung the most, he reflected as she helped Bucky to the privy after getting him to the dining room table after his own visit to the outhouse, was that she was right. Not about everything, but about some of it. He was still trying to figure out how she had come to the conclusion that neither he or Bucky genuinely wanted her in bed with them, but… He could see where the rest of her anger and resentment was coming from. There hadn’t been any kind words since they had started to recover. They hadn’t comforted her over the loss of the baby, a loss that Steve hadn’t realized was so keenly felt. He could barely wrap his head around it; he had gone to sleep one night and had woken weeks later to find out that everything was _wrong_. To find out that Eevie had given birth to a daughter, his and Bucky’s daughter… It was more of a shock than anything. He still couldn’t quite process that the baby had been born and had died; to him and Bucky, it was as if she had never existed.

 

Only now did he understand the saying: “blink and you’ll miss it.” He had blinked, and had missed so much.

 

As Eevie helped Bucky to the table, and then Becca, he wondered where their smiling, playful wife had gone. He watched her closely, and for the first time he noticed how dark the dark smudges under her eyes were—they looked like bruises. He noticed how she had lost weight except around her midsection; the dress hung oddly on her. She was wan and bleary eyed, and he didn’t think he had ever seen a body look so exhausted.

 

Breakfast was a nearly silent affair that morning. Grief and the previous night’s anger shimmered on the air between the four of them. Steve wanted to break the silence, but wasn’t certain how to do so. Not with Eevie in the mood she was in.

 

After breakfast she helped them to the chairs in the living area before cleaning up the kitchen and tending to the chamber pots. It was only after she had finished that she spoke again, and her voice was dull, devoid of any spark of liveliness or good humor.

 

“I have to go and check in on the neighbors. Do you want to sit out here or go back to bed?”

 

“I'd like to sit out here. I think I'm well enough to get to the bedroom on my own if I need to.” Becca ventured.

 

Eevie nodded, then looked at Steve and Bucky.

 

“We'll stay out here as well.” Bucky spoke for them both, “We can get to bed if we need to.”

 

She hesitated a moment, and it gave Steve a moment of hope that she would either smile at then and say all right, or that she would scold and help them back to bed.

 

His heart sank when she did neither and simply nodded, leaving them alone in the house.

 

“What in Heaven’s name happened last night?” Becca demanded once they heard the wagon rattle away down the track that served as a road. “I could hear the yelling from my room!”

 

“We had a disagreement about where she would be sleeping,” Bucky sighed, “I think it might have come out all right if Steve didn't tell her that she was being ridiculous.”

 

Becca gasped, “Steven! You didn't!”

 

“I did. It… Was not my finest moment.”

 

“And you didn't apologize first thing this morning?” She demanded.

 

“She wouldn't let me. I started to, but-”

 

“You hardly tried.” Bucky grumbled, “And then when I tried when we were outside, she told me to shut up or she was going to leave me on the ground for the chickens to peck at.”

 

“Oh, Eevie…” Becca sighed, “I have a feeling she's just as stubborn as the two of you when she gets her temper going-”

 

“As stubborn as Steve,” Bucky corrected, “I can usually be talked into coming around.”

 

“Usually,” Steve's lips quirked in a small smile, “But when you can’t be, you're just as stubborn as I am.”

 

“True enough.” Bucky smiled slightly, before frowning, “I can't think why she thinks we don't want her with us, though.”

 

“It's the baby.” Becca said simply, though her voice quavered slightly as she said the final word, unable to keep from thinking about George. “I could hear her last night. She said the only reason you married her was so you could have children. Don't try and tell me there isn't truth in that statement.”

 

“But she knows that we love her, we’ve told her-” Bucky protested, while Steve groaned and scrubbed at his face with one hand.

 

“Buck,” He interrupted his husband, “We lost time. We lost _weeks_. She's been standing on her own since we fell sick, or near enough to it.”

 

“She's likely not feeling particularly loved right now, and if she’s anything like me, she needs more than to just be told.” Becca looked down at her hands, wringing them together anxiously, not wanting to think of Isaac but unable not to do so and still help her brother and his husband, “If I was in her place, I'd probably be terrified.” Steve and Bucky looked to her in confusion as she pried her hands apart and wrapped her arms around herself, thoughts of her husband and child, both laying buried in the cold ground haunting her. She looked back up at her brother and brother-in-law, blinking back tears. “Terrified of losing you. Of losing anyone else.”

 

“But we're right here!” Bucky protested, “She hasn't lost us at all!”

 

“She lost the tangible evidence of your love.” Becca countered, before shaking her head, fighting back tears, “I’m sorry, I don’t think I’ll be anymore help.” She managed to choke out between tears. Bucky moved from his chair to kneel beside her, wrapping his arms around her and holding her as she wept.

 

“It’s all right, Becks,” He murmured, “You’ve helped more than enough.”

 

“More than enough,” Steve agreed, “I’m sorry, Becca, we shouldn’t be talking about this in front of you.”

 

“I want you to be happy,” Becca hiccoughed out, “I _need_ the three of you to be happy. I don’t know why, but if the three of you are happy, then I know it will all be all right again, somehow.”

 

“Because if we can be happy after losing the baby, you can be happy after losing Isaac and George?” Steve asked her softly, shrewdly. Reading people was his gift, but it hadn’t been in evidence the night before, or any of the nights since the beginning of his recovery. Not until now.

 

“Something like that, I suppose.” Becca confessed, swiping away her tears with the heels of her palms. “I’m sorry, I-”

 

“Don’t you apologize.” Bucky said firmly, “After all you’ve lost, you have the right to cry an ocean of tears without apology.”

 

Becca managed a nod, “I’m going to go and lie down, and cry a bit more.” She said softly. Bucky released her and stood, taking a step back and swaying on his feet, but she reached out to steady him. “You two think of a way to get back in Eevie’s good graces.” She urged, before standing and making her own way slowly into her bedroom. Bucky watched her go, before he sank into his chair.

 

“Christ, this is a mess.” He muttered, running a hand through his hair, “What are we going to do? I don’t see Eevie slowing down to talk to us any time soon, and I don’t know about you, but I can’t chase her right now.”

 

“I don’t think we’ll need to chase her.” Steve said slowly, turning things over in his mind, a possible solution coming to him, “I have an idea.”

 

“I’m listening.”

 

~*~

 

That night Eevie saw to everyone in stony silence, clearly still not about to back down so much as an inch. She was aware that Steve and Bucky were watching her carefully, warily, but to her, it was more like dogs that expected a whipping to be forthcoming, not circling wolves preparing to strike.

 

After the evening’s chores were done and everyone was in bed, Eevie all but collapsed into her pallet; she was so exhausted that she didn’t take time to undress, or even remove her shoes. She simply lay down atop the blankets, and was asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow. She didn’t hear the footsteps approaching her nearly an hour later, and stirred only slightly when a large man lay down on either side of her.

 

She was dragged from wakefulness and began to struggle when strong arms wrapped around her from either side.

 

“Settle, Darlin’.” Bucky said firmly in her ear as she tried to wake up. In her barely conscious, sleep muddled haze she realized that Steve and Bucky had joined her on the floor.

 

“You two shouldn’t be here.” She tried to protest, “Need to get off the floor.”

 

“Only if you do.” Steve told her in a stern, no-nonsense voice that helped draw her from slumber. She wanted to wrap up in his voice; that voice meant safety, security, but those things had departed her life weeks ago. “We’re sleeping where you sleep, and if that means we’re all sleeping on the floor, then so be it.”

 

“Now who is being the ridiculous one?” She sniped at him, trying to sit up, but they wouldn’t let her, holding onto her too tightly between them. She started to struggle again, break free, “Let me go.” She ordered.

 

“Not a chance in hell.” Bucky said flatly.

 

“You two are lying on the bare floor.” She protested.

 

“So we are.” Steve agreed, “What are you going to do to solve that?”

 

Only wanting sleep and to see that her loved ones were cared for, Eevie let out a frustrated growl. It startled Bucky so much that he began to laugh, which only served to drive her from frustrated to furious. She struggled and tried to swat at him, kicked at his legs, and he shied away from her a moment, but did not release her.

 

“Ow, hey, watch it.” He frowned in the darkness while Steve hooked a leg over Eevie’s to prevent her from lashing out and kicking, while tightening her arms around her to pin her arms so that she couldn’t strike out and hit either one of them. He was weak from his illness and would be for a while yet, but he was still stronger than Eevie, who had finally reached the end of her rope, both physically and emotionally.

 

“Eevie, stop.” Steve commanded, grunting and then hissing in pain as a sharp elbow found his ribs. “Sweetheart, please, you need to tell us what’s going on here. Why are you so angry?”

 

Bucky released Eevie, knowing that Steve had a good hold on her, and he reached up to cup her face in his hands, pressing his forehead to hers.

 

“Darling, please.” He murmured in the darkness, “We’re begging here. We want you to tell us what’s wrong. What did we do, and how can we work through it together?” She started to still at his soothing tone, tears filling her eyes, “Please, Eevie. Tell us.”

 

“Everything,” She choked out, “Everything is all wrong. Everyone got sick and so many people are dead, and I know the only reason you married me was so I could give you children, and I haven’t been able to do that yet. You don’t seem to care how hard it’s been, or how hard we’ve been working to keep as many people alive as we can, only that it wasn’t good for the baby… And she’s gone.” Steve’s arms tightened around her, and Bucky let out a sigh of sorrow, wrapping his arms around her once more and tucking her head under his chin, letting her cry into his neck. She continued onward, unable to stop the flow of words, “I could have lost either one of you. Both of you. I promised God that if he let the two of you live, I’d do anything, pay any price,” It hurt her to say the words, to make the confession, but it was like lancing an infected wound; there had to be pain to let the poison out. And the poison had been festering inside of her for far too long. “Right after I saw a sign, and then only a few days later I lost the baby, and it hurt so much. She was so tiny, and I knew she couldn’t stay with us, and I knew that, and it hurt so badly... But I’d do it again to keep the two of you alive, again and again and again, but then you came back to me and… And it’s all different. All _wrong._ You comfort Becca and didn’t seem to care about how I felt about losing the baby, only that it hurt the two of you, and you comforted her instead of me, and you reach for each other but not me, and it feels like all I’m good for is getting pregnant and losing babies. And…” They couldn’t say what else was on her list of grievances; her words trailed off into a keening wail of sorrow, interspersed by sobs. “I’m sorry,” She eventually wept, “I’m so sorry.”

 

“Just let it all out, darlin’.” Bucky murmured, holding her tightly, “We’re here, you’ve got us, and we aren’t going anywhere.” He promised her as Steve moved closer, bowing his head so that he could press his forehead to the crown of Eevie’s head, while Bucky kept her head tucked just beneath his chin. “I’m sorry, Eevie. I knew it had to have been hard on you, but you were handling everything so well, I didn’t think that you were feeling it this badly.”

 

“Neither of us did.” Steve agreed quietly, “You were putting on such a brave face… I should have realized.”

 

She didn’t reply, but she clung to Bucky with one hand, clung to Steve’s arm with her other as she cried herself out. Finally, she was limp between them, feeling raw and exposed, unable to bring forth another tear.

 

“Sweetheart, you need to come to bed and get some rest with us,” Steve finally said, his tone gentle but firm, a feat he managed so easily. “We’re not going to take ‘no’ for an answer, you understand?”

 

“All right.” She whispered out, though she didn’t want to move. She wasn’t certain she could move.

 

Steve released her and drew away, slowly getting to his feet, grunting as he did so; he had a bit of trouble getting up from the floor but was still able to manage.

 

“… I don’t know that I can get up off the floor.” Bucky grumbled, and Eevie groaned, pushing at him and rolling away so she could stumble to her feet.

 

“You should have listened to me, and not gotten down on the floor in the first place.”

 

“It was worth it.” Bucky said simply, while Steve moved to stand beside him.

 

“Roll onto your hands and knees, and work from there.” Steve instructed. Eevie finally got to her feet and between her and Steve they were able to get Bucky to his. Eevie then wandered into the bedroom, stopping at the foot of the bed and staring at it blankly, so debilitatingly exhausted that her mind had finally given up the ghost of trying to process information. Steve said something, but it didn’t catch her attention, draw her from her stupor. She simply remained staring at the bed and the rumpled blankets. When Steve came to stand before her, saying her name, trying to get her attention, she finally looked to him, not comprehending the noises he was making. He looked concerned, and touched her cheek, but she could only stare in blank confusion.

 

“She’s dead gone, Steve.” Bucky said quietly, coming up beside him, looking at Eevie and her confused gaze sadly. “I don’t even know how she’s still standing. Come on, between us, we can get her ready for bed.”

 

Steve nodded, placing a kiss on Eevie’s forehead, before he reached and unfastened the buttons on her dress for her. He noticed sadly that her eyes slipped closed as he did, and he suspected she was asleep on her feet with how she did not respond to his touch, and how she was swaying slightly on her feet. He got her undressed and then dressed her in the nightgown Bucky pulled from the chifforobe. He guided her to sit on the side of the bed and Bucky sat beside her, raising her legs and getting her shoes unbuttoned and stockings off. Weak and tired as they were themselves, they guided her to her spot in the middle of the bed, and she was sound asleep before they could settle in on either side of her and wrap their arms around her.

 

“I love you, Eevie.” Bucky murmured, before looking up to Steve, “And I love you too.”

 

“I love you,” Steve smiled at him, before placing a kiss on Eevie’s temple. “And I love you, Eevie. So much.”

 

There was no response safe for the soft sound of her breathing, deep and even in sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In her place, I probably would have done a lot more yelling, but that isn't who she is.


	36. Chapter 36

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is healing, and letters are received.

Eevie did not wake with the dawn as she usually did. She didn’t even twitch when the roosters crowed, or when Steve and then Bucky left the bed and returned after visiting the necessary, or even when Steve left the bed later on to answer the door and speak in hushed tones to Peter Parker, who had been concerned when Eevie had not met him as usual.

 

When she did wake, it was nearly an hour past noon, and she felt warm and secure for the first time in too long. Far too long. Bucky was spooned against her and she was facing Steve, who opened his eyes when she stirred and gave her a soft, sad smile. Eevie couldn’t return it; she felt numb, her entire body leaden.

 

Steve moved to place a soft kiss on her forehead. Bucky let out his familiar sleepy rumble, before kissing her shoulder. “How are you feeling today? Better?” He asked softly.

 

“A little, I think. I don’t… I don’t really feel anything right now.” She confessed softly. Steve nodded, as if he expected that response. He reached up then and cupped her face in his hands and she closed her eyes, feeling the warmth and strength in his touch, as well as the tenderness. He traced her cheekbones with his thumbs a moment, before beginning to speak.

 

“I didn’t say it last night because I didn’t have the words, but I do now that I’ve had time to think.” He said slowly, and Eevie opened her eyes and looked at him quizzically. “When we first arrived and we didn’t know you, we married you so that we could have children,” He continued on. The hurt rose up in Eevie at those words and she almost began to cry again, started to pull away, but he didn’t allow that, guiding her to look back to him. “Hush, sweetheart. Let me finish, all right?” When she gave a tiny nod, he began to speak again, “That changed. The more we got to know you, the more we grew to love you. I love you just as much as I love Bucky. I love the two of you more than anything in the world, and that is never going to change. Just because we haven’t had children yet, or you haven’t been able to carry to term… That doesn’t change how I feel about you.”

 

“It doesn’t change how either of us feel about you,” Bucky broke in, “I love you just as much as Steve does, just as much as I love him. And it doesn’t matter to me if we never have children, or if we wind up having a hundred. I will always love you two more than anything.”

 

“I think that goes for all three of us, loving one another more than anything.” Steve agreed, “It might be hard for you to remember at times, but we will always love you. That is never going to change. Not ever. Do you understand?”

 

Eevie bit her quivering lips together, tears falling once more as she managed to nod, unable to speak. Steve pulled her into his arms and Bucky went with, the two wrapping their arms around her and around each other, murmuring affirmations of love as she cried once more.

 

 Eventually the tears subsided and she lay still between them once again, numbness settling over her once more. “I need to go and check on the neighbors.”

 

“Not today,” Steve said firmly, “I already talked to Peter, when he came by to check on you. He said that he’d talk to Wade, and they’d take care of everyone today, and tomorrow. You need to rest, sweetheart. You were so far gone last night you fell asleep standing up.”

 

“I doubt I was that bad.”

 

“You were that bad, and worse.” Bucky countered, “We’re doing better, which means you can rest a day or two.”

 

“But-” Eevie started, and Bucky reached up to place a finger against her lips, silencing her.

 

“No.” He murmured into her ear, “You’re going to rest today. We all are, except for meal times.”

 

As if on cue, Eevie’s stomach rumbled. “I should go and prepare us something.”

 

“I’ll fry up some eggs for dinner.” Steve suggested.

 

“They’ll all need to be preserved eggs. I haven’t collected eggs in… Well, we should have chicks any day now, and they’ll keep hatching for a while.” Eevie sighed, “I’ve got to mark the ones out there with a pencil so I can start collecting unmarked ones again.”

 

“Maybe tomorrow.” Steve suggested, placing a kiss on her forehead, “Let’s get you up, so you can use the necessary.”

 

The rest of the day was quiet, but it was pleasant. Steve prepared them a simple meal of fried eggs for dinner, while Becca served up pancakes for supper. The time between the meals was spent curled up together, sharing quiet conversation. They mostly steered away from difficult or emotional subjects, until after dinner, when Steve and Bucky asked Eevie for every detail she could give them about Abigail, her birth, and her death.

 

There were tears then, but it helped her to share the information with them, made her feel less alone, made them feel more a part of it. They settled into bed and held one another afterward while Becca went to her own room, and Eevie felt another pang of sorrow for her sister. Becca needed and deserved this, just as much as Eevie had.

 

Not for the first time, Eevie questioned why; why the town had been struck ill, why certain people had died and other had survived, why there needed to be such pain.

 

As she dozed off, cradled in the arms of her husbands, she knew she would never know the truth of it, but her heart still ached, and asked that one simple question.

 

_Why?_

 

~*~

 

It was nearly two weeks later that Wade went to town, returning with mail and news. The stagecoach was finally running through Babel again, now that the illness had finally passed, but that news was the best of it. He hadn’t been able to get a list of all the dead, though there was a notice posted inside the mercantile where people could add names to notify others of their losses. Wade had added the names of their losses to the list; Isaac and George Booth, Ben Parker, Herschel, Daniel, and Drake Lewis, even little Abigail Barnes-Rogers.

 

Eevie was touched that he had added Abigail’s name to the list, though it made her tear up once more.

 

“How many have we lost?” Steve asked quietly, “The town, I mean.”

 

“Too damn many.” Wade sighed. “Laura and Cooper Barton passed-”

 

“-No!” Eevie and Becca cried out, horrified. Laura Barton, dead? Laura with her constant chatter and friendly smiles, always looking to lend a hand or cheer others?

 

“I’m afraid so.” Wade looked to the hat he held in his hand, “Sam Wilson is the only one left on his spread; Constance and all three of the children were taken off. There’s more, but…” Wade shook his head. “Reverend Coulson is alive. He said he’s going to start services again next Sunday.”

 

“That’s good.” Bucky said, having moved to comfort Eevie and Becca, “Start trying to get things back to normal.”

 

Becca let out a derisive sound.

 

“Well, I know it’s not going to be like it was, but we have to keep trying to carry on.” He pointed out.

 

“I know. I just… I don’t know how I’m going to go on without them.”

 

“With us by your side.” Steve said firmly.

 

“You can count Vanessa and I in on that. We’re all family now.” Wade pointed out. Becca’s lips trembled a moment before she pressed them together, forcing a smile and giving him a nod.

 

“Thank you, Wade.”

 

He grinned at her, then held out the bundle of mail he held to Steve. “I need to go spread the news to everyone else, deliver the mail. Here’s what was waiting for you.”

 

Steve took the bundled newspapers and letters with a nod. On top of the small stack was a letter from Lydia, which he passed to Eevie… Followed by a second. Then a letter each from Missus Murphy and Missus Callum. She looked at the letters in surprise.

 

“Go and read them.” Bucky instructed, “It’ll do you good.”

 

“I’ll take your response in to Cobb City in a few days, when I go to buy her tickets out here.” Steve promised.

 

“Tickets? We’re getting another Barnes-Rogers?” Wade asked, brows shooting up. “The more, the merrier?”

 

Eevie flushed, “It isn’t like that. My closest friend growing up will be eighteen soon, and she’ll need to leave the orphanage when she does. We’re going to bring her out here, see if she meets someone.”

 

“Well, town’s certainly going to need new people coming in.” Wade mused. “You sure you’re not going to try and add in a new spouse?”

 

“No.” Steve said firmly, though he knew Wade was only teasing. “We’re keeping it just the three of us. I can’t imagine anyone at my sides other than Bucky and Eevie, and I don’t want to.”

 

“Same here.” Bucky agreed.

 

“I have everything I want or need in my two husbands. I don’t even know where we would fit a third. Or a second wife.” Eevie gave a ghost of a smile. “So, it is a good thing that we are perfectly content the way that we are.”

 

Wade smiled. “Guess it is. You four have a good evening.” He put his hat back on his head and left amidst the farewells. Eevie went to the little writing desk and sat, checking the postmark on the letters and opening them in order. The first was from Lydia.

 

 

_My Dearest Eevie,_

_Of course I want to come to Babel! I had been hoping something could be arranged, but didn’t want to ask and impose myself on the three of you. And this means that I will get to be there to meet my niece when she arrives—for I insist that your children call me Aunt Lydia, you know. And I am very certain that your baby is going to be a precious little girl. One of my “gut feelings”, if you will._

_Oh, I am so happy for the two of us that upon reading your letter I jumped up and squealed in delight, and would have begun dancing for joy if it were not for Missus Murphy! I was reading your letter in our quiet moments in the evening, and I startled everyone by my reaction. Of course, Missus Murphy demanded to know what was going on, and I hurried to explain the situation so that she would not demand the letter from me. The way you write about both Bucky and Steve in your letters to me is very telling, and I don’t want her to even suspect a hint of “impropriety” or else she will try to forbid me to go to Babel at all. That isn’t to say that I think your marriage is improper. I think that it is perfect for you. I don’t know that I could ever tie myself to more than one person; it takes someone special to create what you’ve told me the three of you have._

_I know my birthday is not until October, but Missus Murphy has said that I may leave before I turn eighteen if I am going to live with you, on the condition that I am not allowed to wed before I turn eighteen, and that I am properly chaperoned. She will be sending you a letter stating as much, so I look forward to receiving your next letter, and hopefully tickets to Babel._

_I miss you so, Eevie, and I cannot wait to see you once again._

_All my love,_

_Lydia_

 

Eevie smiled at the letter, setting it aside, before opening the letter from Missus Murphy. It was blessedly short; stating only that she had discussed the matter of Lydia’s departure for Babel with Reverend and Missus Callum, and that they had decided to allow Lydia to leave for Babel whenever Eevie sent for her. Of course, there were stipulations; Eevie must guarantee that Lydia would be well chaperoned, and that Eevie would find her a good, upright Christian husband. Missus Callum’s letter asked for a reference from Eevie’s preacher, which made her wince. If Reverend Coulson wrote to Missus Callum, he would certainly refer to Eevie as Mrs. Barnes-Rogers in his writings. She couldn’t ask a man of the cloth to lie on her behalf.

 

Then the solution dropped from the sky. The illness. Of course, the Reverend would be too busy tending to his flock to write a letter of recommendation until after Lydia had arrive.

 

At least that problem was easily solved, Eevie mused as she opened Lydia’s second letter.

 

 

_My Dearest Eevie,_

_I had a knowing about you today. I don’t want to put it in words. It’s too horrible to say in case I am wrong. I pray that I am wrong, even as I know that a knowing as strong as this cannot be wrong._

_I am so sorry for your loss, Eevie. Please, write to me soon so that I know you are well._

_All my love and prayers,_

_Lydia_

 

 

Eevie looked at the date on the letter, and sighed. Lydia had written it the day that she had lost Abigail. She regretted the knowing that her friend had had, wished she could have spared her that. After a few moments, she picked up pen and paper and began to write.

 

 

_Dearest Lydia,_

_I am afraid that your knowing was correct. On the day your letter was dated, I gave birth to a baby girl whom I named Abigail. She was only with us in the world for sixteen minutes, but those minutes have left an imprint on my heart that will last a lifetime._

_I am sorry that it has taken so long for me to write to you. Nearly the entire town has been struck down with illness, and those of us who did not fall ill have been caring for those who did. I was lucky to have been spared, but no one else in my family was. Several died from illness, but those who survived are now well on the way to recovery. Our hearts are sore, but we must continue on. Steve will be going to Cobb City in the next few days to get train and stagecoach tickets for your journey here, for I sorely need the comfort your presence will bring. I will send letters to Mrs. Murphy and Mrs. Callum to explain the situation, and why I cannot include a reference from Reverend Coulson; he has been far too busy seeing to his flock to take the time for such things._

_I cannot wait to see you._

_With all my love,_

_Eevie_

 

 

Eevie finished writing the other two missives, before sealing them, but leaving the envelope containing Lydia’s letter unsealed. Steve had been watching, hand when she sealed the envelopes came up behind her, tenderly placing a hand on the nape of her neck.

 

“Something wrong?”

 

“No. Just… I had to tell her about the baby.” She said softly.

 

“I’m sorry, sweetheart.”

 

“It’s going to hurt for a while.”

 

“I know. It hurts all of us,” He reminded her gently, “But we can help one another to bear the pain.”

 

She turned slightly in her chair and looked up at him, smiling sadly. “Together.” She agreed, before moving to lean against him, resting her head against him as he stroked her hair comfortingly.


	37. Chapter 37

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is a departure and an arrival.

Eevie helped Becca down from the wagon, looking around the overgrown farmyard in dismay. The flower beds that Becca had so carefully tended were overrun with weeds, and she knew the kitchen garden couldn’t be much better off. Only a few chickens and several peeping chicks scratched at the ground, and Eevie didn’t want to think about the hogs she had left behind. She had done so with every intention of returning to feed the poor animals, but had gotten so overwhelmed so quickly by caring for everyone near to her farm that driving so far to tend to the hogs and chickens had slipped her mind entirely.

 

“I’ll go take a look at the fields.” Bucky said as he got down from the wagon.

 

“I’ll see to the stock.” Steve said, dismounting from his horse and going to untie the placid cow from where she had been tied to the wagon, along with Becca’s horses, taking the picket pins so he could set them to cropping down some of the grass that had grown so tall in the near month and a half the farm had been unoccupied. There were more chicks in a bushel basket in the back of the wagon to replace what they could of Becca’s once prosperous flock.

 

“And we’ll make certain the house is put fully to rights.” Eevie said, linking her arm with Becca’s. “I wasn’t able to do much the day I came to fetch you to our farm, and I’m sorry for that. I was able to get the dishes done at least, so we don’t have to worry about that.” Eevie said as she guided Becca to the house.

 

Becca stopped just before the door. “… I don’t know that I can do this, Eevie.” She whispered.

 

“You don’t have to,” Eevie squeezed her arm, “You can always come back to stay with us. You know that none of us think a woman should live alone on a claim.”

 

“It’s a homestead. Not a claim.” Becca corrected her absently, “Isaac proved up before we married.” She looked to Eevie, “I feel almost that he’ll just walk out of that door any minute now, George in his arms…” Her shoulders sank. “Maybe this was a bad idea. It’s too soon.”

 

“Then come back home with us.” Eevie said, “We’ll just collect a few of your things, and gather up the rest of the livestock to come with us.”

 

“I… Maybe. I don’t know.” Becca stared at the door, indecisive, before closing her eyes, listening to the sounds of the farmyard, but over that there was the stillness of the prairie that the sounds of life could not completely stifle.

 

“Whatever you want to do, Becca. Whatever you need, we’re here for you.” Eevie assured once again. Lydia would be arriving on the stage the following day, which was only one of the reasons Becca had decided it was time to return to her own farm; but Eevie was certain they could make everyone fit under one roof if they had to. She was not going to bar Becca from her first home in Nebraska, would not dream of telling her sister-in-law that she had to go somewhere else.

 

“Need,” Becca sighed, and Eevie knew she had found the word Becca could latch onto, though Eevie wasn’t certain if it was the right word or the wrong one, not until Becca continued. “I need to be here. I need to care for this farm. It’s what Isaac would have wanted.”

 

“Not if it caused you pain.” Eevie countered.

 

“Pain is a given. Everything else is just extra.” Becca said quietly, “It’s what the woman who took rooms next to ours in Brooklyn would say. And I’ve had my extra, so it’s time to live with the pain, until it dulls enough that I can put it away and not think of it constantly.” She looked to Eevie, smiling slightly, though it did not reach her eyes, “I need to focus my attention on the farm. Crops will still need harvesting, and there is so much other work to be done besides.”

 

Eevie smiled sadly in return, “True enough.” She looked to the house, “The first thing we’re going to do is to pack up all their things and put them away. Out of sight, but not quite out of mind.”

 

“I should see if anyone in town could use their clothing. Reverend Coulson could add it all to the bounty of the missionary barrels he gets sometimes.”

 

“You should think on that, not do it in haste and repent at leisure,” Eevie said firmly, “But it will be easier to give their things away if we get it all packed away now. Then we’ll give the house a good scrubbing.”

 

“You don’t have to help with all of this.”

 

“I know, but you’re my sister. I’m not going to leave you to do all this on your own, not when you’re only just recovered, and I can help lighten the work. ‘Many hands make light work’,” She quoted, “And together we might not have many hands, but hands enough to get the job done.”

 

“Have I ever said how very glad I am that you were the one to respond to the advertisement Isaac and I cooked up for Bucky?”

 

“I don’t think so, but… I don’t think I’ve ever told you how very glad I am that you and Isaac cooked up that advertisement.” Eevie pointed out. “Even with everything, all the grief and loss… I’ve been happy here. Happier than I’ve ever been in my whole life. I have you to thank for that.”

 

Becca smiled at Eevie, a true smile this time, her eyes suspiciously shiny with unshed tears. “Come on,” She finally said, “Let’s go and get to work.”

 

“Whatever you say.” Eevie promised as she followed Becca into the little wooden house.

 

~*~

 

The following day Eevie was nearly bursting with excitement. She raced through breakfast before going over everything in the house once more with a dust cloth, both Bucky and Steve smiling at how eager yet anxious she was.

 

“I’m sure your friend isn’t going to mind a little bit of dust.” Steve pointed out, “Not that there’s even a speck left in this house right now.”

 

“She might mind the bug spots on the windows.” Bucky teased. When Eevie turned an anxious gaze to the kitchen windows he quickly stood and wrapped his arms around her. “I was only teasing. There’s nothing wrong with the windows.”

 

“Becca and I just washed them the day before yesterday!” Eevie reminded him, not able to see the spots the bugs had left on the glass from where she stood, but knowing they were there.

 

“Sweetheart, it’s going to be fine.” Steve said, coming up and wrapping an arm around her, trapping her between himself and Bucky. “She isn’t going to mind a few spots on the windows, or a bit of mess that just shows the house is lived in. All she’s going to care about is seeing you, and meeting the two men who swept you off of your feet.”

 

Eevie looked up at Steve with a faint smile, “I’m not certain ‘swept’ is the right word.”

 

“No, I do remember some sweeping.” Bucky countered.

 

“Less sweeping, more bending her over a worktable.” Steve drawled, and Eevie snorted out a laugh while Bucky tried to look chagrined, but failed.

 

“Worked, didn’t it?”

 

“Incorrigible. Both of you.”

 

“And insatiable.” Bucky reminded her. At that reminder, the smile slipped from Eevie’s face. Though she was back in bed with them, there had yet to be any intimacy between the three. Bucky saw her smile fade, felt the change in her body language, and he wanted to kick himself. “Hey, I didn’t mean anything by that. Just… Remembering our first day together.” He tried to explain.

 

“I know you didn’t mean anything by it, but… It’s still a reminder that I’m not-”

 

“-I don’t want you to finish that thought.” Steve said firmly. “You’re still recovering. We’re all still recovering. That’s more important than anything else right now.”

 

“But-” She started, and Steve shook his head.

 

“None of that. Your health is more important.”

 

“Well, our health is important too, and to be honest, as much as I’d like to get up to mischief with the two of you, I don’t think I’m well enough for that yet, so I know you aren’t, darlin’.” He placed a kiss on Eevie’s temple, “We just need to give it some time.”

 

“Time,” Eevie smiled, “At least we have that.”

 

“Thanks to you,” Steve pointed out, “If it wasn’t for you, I don’t think we would have made it through the illness.”

 

“Don’t say that.” Eevie commanded sharply, hating the spike of fear that jabbed at her so fiercely when she thought of either of her husbands not surviving. “I don’t want to think about the possibility. We’ve lost so much, I don’t… I don’t want to think about what could have happened. How it could have been worse.”

 

“I’m sorry.” Steve murmured, tightening his arm around her, “I didn’t… I’m sorry.”

 

“I love you. Both of you.” Eevie said firmly, looking to Steve, and then to Bucky, “And I’m not going to let either of you go. Not ever.”

 

“And we’re not going to let you go.” Steve assured her, pulling her close and resting his chin atop her head, looking to Bucky, not trying to conceal the worry in his gaze though he kept his tone loving and tender. Bucky met Steve’s gaze, the same worry reflected in his, nodding slightly to show Steve that he saw and understood, before holding Steve and Eevie closer.

 

“Not ever.” Bucky assured, “Not letting either of you go.”

 

Steve smiled at that, but the worry was still in his eyes as the three held one another for a time, until it was time to go to town. Eevie wanted them there early, so that Lydia was not left waiting as she had been.

 

The ride to town was a quiet one, but Eevie was content to spend it with her arm linked with Bucky’s, her head resting on his shoulder. Even in the oppressive early August heat and humidity, she still felt better with his comforting heat against her side.

 

“I think we got here early.” Bucky remarked as they neared the livery and saw that no one was waiting for them.

 

“Good. I don’t want her to have to wait. She’ll probably be exhausted.” Eevie said as Bucky brought the wagon to a slow stop.

 

“Just like you were.” Bucky agreed. “You sure she’ll be up for the party you’ve got planned tomorrow?”

 

“No, but the party isn’t just for her.” She reminded Bucky quietly. Steve hadn’t gotten a birthday dinner this year, and they were going to fix that, with the help of Becca and their closest neighbors. Lydia’s arrival seemed like the perfect excuse to throw a party that they could surprise Steve with.

 

“I’m still not certain how Steve is going to react.”

 

“He’s already agreed that we need a reason to celebrate _something_ , now that the sickness has passed.” Eevie pointed out, “He just doesn’t know that part of the celebration is for his birthday.”

 

“True enough.” Bucky sighed, before smiling as he saw the stagecoach in the distance on the street, drawing rapidly closer. “And there’s your friend.”

 

Eevie released his arm and scrambled down the side of the wagon without waiting for either Bucky to get down and help her, earning a laugh from Bucky, and then from Steve, who was tying his horse at a hitching post.

 

“You still have a few minutes, darlin’!” Bucky called to her as he got down from the wagon.

 

“Let her be.” Steve called to Bucky, smiling to see Eevie so energetic. It was a welcome change from how listless she had been since the outbreak of the illness. Even the knowledge of Lydia’s arrival hadn’t cheered Eevie to how she had been before, but after all they had lost it was understandable. However, understanding didn’t mean that it hurt any less to see the drastic changes in her personality. Steve and Bucky both missed their spitfire with her ready laughter and loving teasing, and both hoped that Lydia’s arrival would help bring more than just the shadow of their wife back to them.

 

The two men moved to stand on either side of their wife, Steve slipping an arm around her waist and Bucky taking her hand, giving it a squeeze as the stagecoach approached and came to a stop, the horses’ sides heaving from their exertion. A young woman stepped from the stagecoach then, wearing a shabby gray dress and a flat-topped straw hat that had seen far better days over her inky black hair that was coming undone. She looked about, and when she saw Eevie her face lit up with an enormous smile. Steve and Bucky could feel the tension leave Eevie, and then she was rushing forward, as was the woman who could only be Lydia, the two embracing each other tightly. They were laughing and talking at the same time, and Bucky and Steve could see that they were a little teary. The men who had gotten off the stagecoach to stretch their legs, and who were changing the horses for a fresh team were looking on with indulgent smiles; there were few people who could frown over a reunion such as the one the two women were having.

 

Then Bucky heard the words, “You look _awful!_ ” come from Lydia, and he couldn’t help but laugh at that, as Eevie did.

 

“You haven’t changed a bit.” Eevie said with clear affection, before linking arms with Lydia and turning back to her husbands, dragging her friend along. Bucky and Steve could see the tears running down Eevie’s cheeks, but she was smiling broadly. “Lydia, these are my husbands, Bucky and Steve. My loves, this is Lydia.”

 

“It’s good to finally meet you, Lydia.” Steve said as Bucky reached for Lydia’s carpetbag, which she handed over without protest. “Eevie has told us a lot about you.”

 

“It’s good to meet the both of you.” Lydia said brightly, “Eevie’s told me so much in her letters that I feel I know you already.”

 

“Hopefully she’s only told you the good things, though I’m certain there’s plenty of bad to go along with it.” Bucky drawled.

 

“Oh, she’s told me a bit of the bad, not that there seems to be much of it.” Lydia laughed, causing Eevie to flush.

 

“Lydia and I have always told each other everything.” She explained sheepishly.

 

“That’s the way it should be with best friends.” Steve said easily, “Come on, let’s go to the mercantile before we head back home.”

 

“The mercantile?” Both Eevie and Lydia asked.

 

“We’re supposed to be looking after Lydia now,” Steve pointed out, “So you need to make certain she’s kitted out, the way Laura helped you.”

 

“That’s too much-” Lydia started to say, wide eyed, but Eevie smiled ruefully.

 

“Don’t bother trying to argue with them,” She told Lydia, “They can be pretty stubborn. Besides, I’m certain you could use a few things. I know I did.”

 

“I don’t want you to go to any trouble or expense-”

 

“We promised we’d do right by you when we told the orphanage you could come and live with us.” Steve said firmly, “And we keep our word. Come on, we’ll walk over, and Bucky can bring the wagon. I expect you’ll want to stretch your legs a bit after your trip.”

 

“I’ll bring the wagon over.” Bucky smiled, “Welcome to Babel, Lydia.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was not proofread by anyone, so I am certain there are errors in there somewhere. Sorry not sorry.
> 
> Don't worry, there are still plans for Becca. And yay, Lydia arrived! Let the matchmaking commence.
> 
> As if life could not be more of a #trainwreck, my shoulder was dislocated for over a week (thanks, American healthcare system!) so there is either going to be a lot of writing under the influence of heavy painkillers and muscle relaxers; or no writing at all because I'm in a coma from the aforementioned painkillers and muscle relaxers. (So far this weekend, things have been more on the coma end of things.) So, I am not sure what will happen with the update schedule. I'm sorry. I'm trying. I swear.


	38. Chapter 38

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there are preparations and introductions.

The drive back to the farm was filled with pleasant chatter, the two women catching up on things that weren’t prudent to put into letters, mostly little things that made Steve (who was driving the team home; he and Bucky always switched places for the ride home, if possible) smile. Eevie was more animated than she had been in some time, and it relieved him to see it. Bringing Lydia to Babel was the right choice, he decided. Eevie needed a bosom companion nearby, instead of half a country away.

 

They were nearing the house when Eevie turned her attention back to Steve to ask him a question, and she paused, seeing his smile. “And what has you in such a good mood?” She asked him.

 

He looked to her, and his smiled widened when he saw the old sparkle back in her eyes. “You’re happy.” He said simply, “That makes me happy.”

 

Her smile turned tender, and she wrapped an arm about his waist and leaned against him, while Lydia let out a little coo at how sweet the words and sentiment behind them were. Steve moved to hold the reins in one hand so he could wrap an arm around Eevie, holding her close. He had missed this; her joy, and simply being close to one another. This was a step towards healing, he reflected, towards mending the strange rift that had opened between them while they had been so ill and Eevie had served as caretaker for so many.

 

They remained close for the rest of the drive, though Lydia and Eevie still spoke, but it was mostly Lydia carrying the conversation now, with Eevie giving only one- or two-word responses on occasion, but otherwise perfectly content to nestle against her husband for the remainder of their drive home.

 

Home. The thought made Eevie smile and close her eyes. It had been home for nearly a full year now, but it still made her smile, left a glow of warmth in her heart. It was only a few weeks shy of her one-year anniversary in Babel, and despite all the sorrow, all the loss, she couldn’t imagine having spent the year anywhere else. Couldn’t imagine not having Steve and Bucky by her side. And even though they had felt so much loss in that short time, loss she would have given anything to prevent if she had it to do over again, she still would not trade that loss for a life elsewhere, where she might never have known it.

 

This was where her heart belonged, she decided. This was home, and now that Lydia was here, there was no need to look anywhere else for comfort.

 

“And here we are,” Eevie said to Lydia as Steve turned the horses onto the drive, “I can’t wait to show you everything.”

 

“Home sweet home.” Lydia smiled, “I can’t wait to see everything!”

 

“Home is where the heart is.” Steve quoted.

 

“And her heart is most definitely here.” Lydia replied.

 

“Yes, it is.” Eevie agreed as Steve brought the wagon to a halt.

 

“I’ll bring our purchases and Lydia’s things in when we’re done with the horses.” Steve said, moving to kiss Eevie’s cheek, but she turned her head and stole a quick kiss.

 

“Thank you.” She murmured, drawing back and smiling at him, “More than I can say.”

 

“Whatever I did, it was worth it to see that smile.” Steve told her, before drawing back so that he could climb down from the wagon and help the two women down. Once they were both on the ground, Eevie linked arms with Lydia, excitedly leading her to the house, eager to show off her home. Steve watched them go with a smile, before he began to unhitch the horses; Bucky (who had ridden ahead) coming to help.

 

“Been a while since I’ve seen that smile.” Bucky said as he looked Steve over.

 

“Been a while since I had a reason to smile like this.” Steve countered, before looking to Bucky, “Eevie’s happy. I didn’t realize how much I missed her smile.”

 

Bucky smiled at his words, “Good. I’ve missed that smile, too.” He turned his attention back to the tack, getting the horses free of their harnesses, “You had a good idea, bringing Lydia out here.”

 

“I wasn’t certain at first, but watching the two of them when she got off the stage?” Steve shook his head, “Eevie needed a good friend close by. Closest friends she has here are Becca, and Laura, but with Becca it’s not the same, and with Laura gone…”

 

“Yeah.” Bucky agreed, “It’s not the same as having your best friend.”

 

“The two of us are lucky like that.” Steve chuckled.

 

“That we are.” Bucky agreed as he led one of the horses to where the picket line was set.

 

Inside, Eevie was taking Lydia’s hat as the other woman looked around the house in surprise. “You can hardly tell it was made with sod!” Lydia said in surprise.

 

“I told you so.” Eevie pointed out with a smile, “This way,” She led Lydia to what had been Becca’s room and drew back the curtain, “This will be your room.” She said as Lydia removed her hat. The bedding had been freshly washed, the quilt brightening the plastered room.

 

“It’s beautiful.” Lydia assured her as Eevie hung Lydia’s hat on one of the wooden pegs stuck into the wall, “Did you make this quilt?”

 

“I did. I had help, though. The sewing circle met two times a month, except during harvest and planting times.”

 

“But not since everyone got sick?” Lydia guessed.

 

“No.” Eevie’s smile faded, “Not since everyone got sick. One of us will start it up again sooner or later, I suppose. It was a good way to get together to enjoy each other’s company. Laura Barton, the woman who made most of the arrangements and hosted most often, died when everyone fell ill. No one wants to step up and take her place just yet.”

 

“Why don’t you?” Lydia asked.

 

“Me?” Eevie was startled by the suggestion.

 

“Someone needs to take charge to start it up again. Why not you?” Lydia asked patiently.

 

Eevie bit her bottom lip, “I don’t know.” She said finally, “I’m younger than most of the other women in our circle. You don’t think it will be seen as presumptuous?”

 

“I don’t think it would.” Lydia mused, “Likely, everyone wants the sewing circle to resume, but no one wants to overstep. If you don’t make the first overtures, who will?”

 

Eevie smiled slightly. “I didn’t think of it like that. I’ll ask Steve and Bucky at supper tonight what they think about us hosting a meeting of the sewing circle, to get it back on track.”

 

“And I’ll give whatever help you need.”

 

“We’ll need to prepare some sort of dinner for everyone, but that shouldn’t be too difficult.” Eevie mused, “But we’ll see what my husbands say first. I don’t want to make any plans until I know how they feel about it.” She smiled, “And if they say it’s all right, I’ll put out feelers tomorrow during the party.”

 

“Party?” Lydia asked, surprised, before, “Eevie, you didn’t!”

 

“It’s not just for you,” Eevie said quickly, “We’ve missed celebrating Steve’s birthday as well, and… We all need a reason to celebrate right now. A ‘welcome to Babel’ celebration seemed just the thing. It won’t be a lot of people, just the families who live closest to us. Well, and Becca. She’s helped to plan it, so she’s coming as well.”

 

“I suppose I don’t mind being the excuse for a party, as long as I’m not the sole focus of it.” Lydia frowned.

 

“You won’t be.” Eevie promised. “I’m going to do some of the cooking for it this afternoon. We’re planning on making an early night of it; I know you’ll want a bath after your trip, I certainly did, so after supper I’ll heat water for you, and they’ll bring in the tub before retreating to our room to give you privacy. Just call when you’re done, the rest of us will take our baths after. We don’t usually have bath night in the middle of the week, but with your arrival and a party tomorrow…”

 

“A bath would be absolutely lovely.” Lydia smiled, “I feel positively disgusting.”

 

“A week on a train and then a stuffy stagecoach ride does that.” Eevie said, wrinkling her nose in distaste, remembering her own journey. “I promise, you’ll feel human again after a meal, a bath, and a good night’s rest.”

 

“That sounds wonderful.” Lydia smiled, “As soon as they bring in my bag, I’ll change and help you with dinner.”

 

“You don’t have-” Eevie started, but Lydia shook her head.

 

“I’m not company, I’m living here now, remember? I’ll help with the cooking and cleaning.” Lydia said firmly.

 

Eevie was silent a moment, before: “You’re only living here until you turn eighteen and find a husband.”

 

“That still makes this my home.” Lydia retorted, flushing. “You make it sound like finding a husband will be easy.”

 

“Oh, it will.” Eevie said confidently, “I’ll bring in your bag as soon as Steve brings it into the house.” She promised, leaving the room and taking a breath, before going to the root cellar to fetch what she would need for dinner, smiling when she saw Steve and Bucky carrying Lydia’s things in. Nearly everyone she loved most under one roof, and everyone she loved all in the same town? It was the fulfillment of a wish she didn’t know she had been harboring in her heart, and it filled her with joy.

 

~*~

 

The following day was a busy one. Eevie, Bucky, and Steve were up early to do the chores, trying to remain as quiet as possible to give Lydia more time to sleep in, both men smiling at how it reminded them of Eevie’s first morning in Babel. They had breakfast at the usual time, and then Eevie set about preparing what she could for the party. She had killed five pullets the morning before and left them to drain overnight; now she set to butchering them and preparing a platter of fried chicken. Despite how their flock had diminished while everyone was ill, there were still enough for the fried chicken. It helped that there were so many chicks running around; the eggs had gone ungathered for over a month, which meant that there would soon be more chickens than they could handle running around. The flock had to be culled, even with how it had diminished during the illness.

 

She was preparing the potatoes for potato salad when Lydia emerged from her room, hair pinned back and dressed in what had been her Sunday dress at the orphanage, a worn navy calico print. Eevie turned when she heard the footsteps on the plank floor and smiled, “You’re looking better rested.”

 

“I feel better rested. Thank you for letting me sleep.” Lydia said as she approached, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

 

“You can help me pare these, and then the turnips, and then scrape the carrots.” Eevie suggested, “I’ll fry you up an egg and some toast if you’re hungry. We’re going to be having dinner at about two instead of noon today, which is what all this is for.”

 

“I can wait until dinner.” Lydia protested, “Though I might snack a bit on the vegetables when we pare and scrape them.”

 

Eevie grinned, “If you’re sure you want to wait, and no worries. I do that too.”

 

Lydia laughed, and got a paring knife from where Eevie indicated they were kept, sitting down to pare vegetables and talk, urging Eevie to tell her a bit about those who would be coming to the celebration. Eevie was happy to tell her of the Odinsons, the Wilsons, the Lewises, and the Parkers, as well as Reverend Coulson, and Becca. As they spoke, Eevie wondered if Lydia was enough to catch Loki Odinson’s eye, thinking that Lydia’s impish nature might find its match in him.

 

The two worked the morning away, and then Steve and Bucky carefully maneuvered the kitchen table and chairs outside; the Odinsons, Wilsons, and Lewises would all be bringing their own tables and chairs while the Parkers, Reverend Coulson, and Becca would not be bringing any furniture as there would likely be enough room for them at the other tables.

 

Becca was the first to arrive, Bucky hurrying over to help her down once she brought her wagon to a halt.

 

“Long time no see, stranger.” He said, and Becca laughed.

 

“Hush you, and help me get the food inside until it’s time to serve.” She said, “I want to meet Lydia.”

 

“She’s inside with Eevie.” Bucky told her with a grin. “I’ll start bringing everything in.”

 

“Thank you, Bucky.” Becca said as she placed a kiss on her brother’s cheek, before hurrying inside, where Eevie and Lydia were cleaning up. Eevie turned, smiling.

 

“I thought I heard your voice outside.” She hurried to Becca, embracing the other woman, “How are you doing?” She asked worriedly, “Are you all right out there on your own?”

 

“It’s lonely,” Becca confessed, hugging Eevie tightly and then releasing her, “But I’ll survive. Richard Proctor came by yesterday, to offer with the harvest, but I’ll talk about that later. You need to introduce me to your friend.”

 

Eevie grinned, turning and beckoning Lydia over, “Becca, this is my friend Lydia Weaver, Lydia, this is my sister in law, Rebecca Booth.”

 

“It’s so good to meet you, Eevie has told me so much.” Becca smiled, “Call me Becca, please.”

 

“Then you must call me Lydia.” She told Becca firmly, “Eevie has told me so much… And I must thank you for placing the advertisement that brought her out here.”

 

“Because if I hadn’t, you wouldn’t be here?” Becca asked, though her smile faded somewhat at the memory of placing the advertisement, how she hadn’t been the one to place it, only to write it.

 

“That’s one reason, yes, but also that she’s been so happy here.” Lydia pointed out as Bucky entered, bearing a covered milk pan in either hand. “So, thank you.”

 

“We’re thanking Becca for bringing Eevie out here?” Bucky asked as he set the milk pans onto the crowded worktable, “Because, if we are, Steve and I need to add our thanks to yours.”

 

“We are.” Eevie told him, before smiling at Becca, “I owe you everything. Thank you.”

 

Becca just nodded, pressing her lips together, trying to smile for them. Bucky sighed, and moved to take his sister in his arms, rubbing her back comfortingly, “I know you did it to be with him, and I know you miss him, miss him like hell, but that’s never going to change how grateful we are that you placed that advertisement and picked Eevie’s response out of I don’t know how many.”

 

“I’m glad you’re happy,” Becca whispered, clinging to her brother, “I truly am, but…”

 

“But it’s hard, when you’re hurting so badly.” Lydia said softly, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset you.”

 

“It’s all right.” Becca whispered after a minute. “I’ll be all right.”

 

“Bucky, why don’t you sit with Becca for a while. I’ll get the rest of the things in from the wagon.” Eevie suggested. Bucky nodded, then walked Becca over to Eevie’s rocker and got her seated.

 

“I’m sorry.” Lydia said, hurrying after Eevie.

 

“It’s all right, you didn’t mean to, didn’t know better.” Eevie gave her friend a small smile, “Your knowings don’t tell you everything.”

 

“No, they don’t.” Lydia sighed, “Only some things, and not always what I want to know.”

 

Eevie couldn’t help but smile at that, knowing _exactly_ what Lydia mean. “… Such as if you’re going to meet a charming gentleman soon?”

 

Lydia flushed crimson. “Maybe.”

 

“Sometimes it’s better to not know.” Eevie said as she climbed up the wagon so she could pass a low sided crate down to Lydia, “Careful, with this,”

 

“Why is not knowing better? Knowing things makes life smoother.” Lydia said as she took the crate, careful not to tip it even slightly.

 

“Knowing might make you make different decisions, take your life down a different path.” Eevie said quietly, “If I had known that I was going to lose both my babies… I don’t know what I would have done, but I know that I wouldn’t have treasured learning about their impending arrival as much, wouldn’t have been so overjoyed or excited… And as much as it hurt to lose them, I wouldn’t trade that joy or excitement for anything that exists between Heaven and Hell.” Eevie looked down to Lydia as she picked up a basket, “So sometimes, it’s better not to know.”

 

“I never thought of it like that.” Lydia mused.

 

“And what if you did have a knowing that you would meet someone?” Eevie continued as she climbed back down the wagon carefully, taking it in stages so she didn’t drop her basket, “What if the person you were supposed to meet wasn’t what you expected, so you rebuffed him instead of being open to his advances, when he was the right one all along?”

 

“Well when you put it like that…”

 

“You knowings are a very handy thing, Lydia, but maybe we shouldn’t depend on them.” Eevie smiled kindly at her friend.

 

“I guess not.” Lydia agreed wryly as the two headed back into the little sod house. Eevie set her burden down in the kitchen and went to check on Becca, who was beginning to smile slightly at something Bucky was saying.

 

Soon the Lewises arrived, seventeen-year-old Darcy driving the wagon, her mother Freda beside her, gangly thirteen-year-old David and little six-year-old Dixie sitting on chairs in the back of the wagon, the two giggling together and playing a clapping game. Eevie stepped out of the house to greet them when she heard the wagon coming up the road, and she smiled to see the two youngest Lewises smiling and happy. They had lost so much, that seeing them smile and play brought a sense of relief to Eevie, a final confirmation that the horrors of the Typhoid epidemic were behind them. Freda’s face would never lose the lines of grief, and the pain from their losses would never be fully numbed or forgotten, but they were recovering. Happiness wasn’t out of their reach, no matter how they had suffered.

 

Eevie pondered that as she introduced Lydia to the Lewises before beginning to bring food out to the tables with Becca and Freda while David helped Steve and Bucky get tables and chairs from the wagon and set up end to end with their table. The plan was to have one long table, everyone sitting where they wanted.

 

Then Peter and May arrived, May hurrying over to meet Lydia while Peter went to care for the horses and set them out on picket lines.

 

“May, this is my friend Lydia Weaver. Lydia, this is May Parker. She and her nephew Peter are our nearest neighbors.” Eevie said.

 

“It’s a pleasure to meet you, Missus Parker.” Lydia said, smiling.

 

“I would have been lost without May Parker and Laura Barton when I arrived here,” Eevie told Lydia, “I owe everything to the two of them and to Becca.”

 

“And not your husbands?” May asked, amused.

 

“Well… Them too.” Eevie agreed with a grin, “But while they were open and accepting, they were lacking in the practical knowledge that the three of you were able to share with me.”

 

“There’s more than a kernel of truth in that statement.” Steve said as he came up behind Eevie, “Ladies.”

 

“Steve,” May smiled, “Thank you for having us over today.”

 

“We’re glad to host for a gathering like this. We all need to get together more often.” Steve smiled, “And to hear Eevie tell it, we’ll be hosting a bit more gatherings soon.”

 

Eevie flushed, “You could have at least given me a chance to talk to her about it.” She looked to May, who had a bemused expression on her face, “I wanted to start our sewing circle back up again. It won’t be the same, but… Laura would be furious if we didn’t, and you know it.”

 

May’s bemusement had faded, until she was wearing a soft smile, “She would,” May agreed. May knew better than anyone; May and Laura had been close to one another. “I, for one, would love to have our sewing circle start up again. We’ll be talking to Jane and Vanessa when they arrive?”

 

“Yes. And we can all talk to others on Sunday. Not everyone will want to start up again, and that’s all right, but maybe we’ll get a few new ladies to join. Freda and Darcy said they wanted to join.”

 

May’s smile was approving. “You’ve got it all planned out.”

 

“Not all of it, and I’m going to need your help and support, but… Some of it.” Eevie grinned as Peter came up.

 

“Aunt May, do you need me to get anything out of the wagon for you?” The lean youth asked as he approached.

 

“In just a minute, Peter. Come and meet Miss Weaver.” May looked to Lydia as Peter came to stand beside her, “Miss Weaver, this is my nephew, Peter Parker. Peter, this is Lydia Weaver.”

 

Peter quickly removed his hat, “Miss Weaver,” He stammered out, and Eevie frowned slightly to see a flush was creeping up Peter’s neck and the tips of his ears were turning red. “It’s… Eevie has, Missus Barnes-Rogers, I mean, she’s talked about you,” Peter seemed to realize how that sounded, “Nothing bad! But to say you were coming here. And a bit about you.” He was scrambling for words, and it dawned on Eevie what she was witnessing. Steve and May were already biting their lips to keep from laughing or giving anything away, “I’ll, uh, go and unload the Weaver-Wagon! I’ll unload the wagon.”

 

“I’ll help.” Steve said casually as Peter quickly turned and put his hat back on his head, nearly bolting to where the wagons were lined up. Steve caught up to him and said something, clapping Peter on the back and nearly making him stumble.

 

Eevie and May shared a glance, trying to contain their laughter.

 

“He seemed… Nice?” Lydia ventured.

 

That was the catalyst.

 

Eevie and May howled in laughter while Lydia looked at them in bewilderment and Peter turned to look at them anxiously, until Steve convinced him to pay them no heed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are getting to be happy once again. Yay. Not as they were, but a new normal.
> 
> I don't know if I gave Lydia a last name before. I'm doubting it, because I didn't have it written down in my notes. So if she has a sudden last name change, uh, oops? My bad.
> 
> Still fighting the good fight.


	39. Chapter 39

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is church and conversation.

The party was fun, and a success in that everyone got to socialize and share in good food. Also in that Lydia was introduced to all of the neighbors, as well as to Reverend Coulson, and that Steve was properly surprised when the desserts were brought out and everyone wished him a happy if somewhat belated birthday before setting a large apple pie before him. It was going into the evening before everyone gathered up their things and hitched the horses back up, heading home to deal with the evening chores. Steve and Bucky took the table and chairs back inside, while Eevie and Lydia gathered up plates and cutlery, carrying everything inside to be cleaned.

 

“I think that was the best welcome to town anyone could have had.” Lydia said, pleased, as she scrubbed dishes while Eevie wiped and put away, the two having quibbled over who would do what only briefly. Lydia and Darcy had begun to develop a friendship over the course of the afternoon, while Lydia kept sending puzzled smiles to Peter when she caught him staring at her, which always made him look away quickly and made everyone observing the two of them struggle to keep from laughing.

 

“I have to agree with you.” Eevie said as she stacked plates after drying them. “What did you think about Peter Parker?”

 

Lydia flushed, “He barely spoke to me. Just stared. I kept thinking something was wrong with my dress or my hair.”

 

“Oh no. He was just gob-smacked when he saw you.”

 

“Is that why you were laughing?”

 

“I have never seen anyone so smitten at first sight.” Eevie smiled. As fond as Bucky and Steve were of her, she had never seen them at a true loss for words due to her appearance. She was a little jealous.

 

“Really?”

 

“Peter can be a bit shy and awkward from what I’ve seen, but I’ve never seen him like that before.” Eevie picked up the plates so she could put them away, “You should talk to him after church on Sunday. See if you can get a few words out of him.”

 

“What’s he like?” Lydia asked.

 

“He’s kind and good, and the rest I’m going to make you find out for yourself.” Eevie returned to the work table to resume wiping things dry.

 

“Eevie! Please?”

 

“No.” Eevie said cheerfully.

 

Lydia let out a little growl of frustration, and turned her attention back to scrubbing while Eevie laughed, feeling lighter than she had in a long while.

 

~*~

 

The remainder of the week went by pleasantly, and when Sunday came Eevie was anxious to introduce her friend around. Reverend Coulson introduced her at the end of the service when he gave his usual announcements, and after service saw a flock of people around Lydia. Most of them of the masculine persuasion.

 

“Her room is going to be empty by harvest time.” Becca said quietly at Eevie’s side as the two stood back and watched Lydia smile and talk to everyone.

 

“I think that’s an optimistic estimate.” Eevie said, telling herself that she shouldn’t feel so cranky over the prospect. They had brought Lydia to Babel so she could find a husband and start a family of her own. And after everything that had happened, after all of the loss, of course people would be eager to meet someone new, a sign that Babel would continue to grow and not fade away and be consumed by the prairie as many small towns often were.

 

“If it were up to Peter Parker, it would be next week.” Becca drawled, and Eevie had to bite back a laugh.

 

“Maybe, but it isn’t up to him, is it? It’s up to her. And she’s said that she wants to know a bit more about a man than just his name and occupation before she marries him.”

 

“So, it was fine to send you off to marry a stranger, but not her?” Becca asked, amused.

 

“Lightning doesn’t always strike twice. She’s worried about having the luck I did.” Eevie said, before looking to Becca, “How are you holding up? Are you all right by yourself?”

 

“I… No.” Becca sighed, her shoulders sagging slightly, “I’m not, but it’s all right. I have to get used to it.” She took a breath and corrected her posture, “Richard Proctor came to call on me this week.”

 

Eevie felt her stomach clench. That was awfully sudden. “Oh?”

 

“I guess he wanted to try and stake a claim before anyone else could. He asked if he could court me.”

 

“Stake a claim?” Eevie demanded, incredulous.

 

“Oh, those weren’t the words he used, of course. He said that it wasn’t right that a woman was trying to hold down a farm on her own, and that he was lonely, that he wanted to see if the two of us could get to know one another better to see if we’d suit.” When she saw Eevie’s expression, Becca smiled slightly, but it didn’t reach her eyes, “Not terribly romantic, I know, but… He’s right. And at least he didn’t propose marriage straightaway.”

 

“There is that.” Eevie agreed, “What did you tell him?”

 

“I said that I was willing to see if we’d suit, but that was all I could give him for now. He said that he understood.” Becca pressed her lips together a moment, trying to contain her emotions, “I know Isaac wouldn’t want me to be alone, that he’d want me to move on, but… It’s so soon. Too soon.”

 

Eevie reached and took her hand, giving it a squeeze. “You don’t have to move on until you’re ready.”

 

“But I don’t want to be alone, either.”

 

“You can always come and stay with us. You know that none of us would mind having you move in.” Eevie said firmly.

 

“I… We’ll see.” Becca sighed, “We’ll see how the rest of this season goes, if I can stand being alone, or…”

 

“You don’t have to try and stand it if you don’t want to.”

 

Becca gave her a small, tight smile. “Thank you, Eevie.” The smile relaxed a bit, “I don’t think I could have picked out a better sister-in-law.”

 

“Good for both of us that you picked me, then, isn’t it?” Eevie teased her. “Thank you, for picking me. I don’t say it enough.”

 

“You don’t have to thank me for that.” Becca assured her, “I did it because I was selfish. I’m just glad that it’s come out all right so far.”

 

“Oh, so far, she says.”

 

“So far.” Becca said firmly, before smiling and embracing Eevie. “Come over next week for Sunday dinner. I’ll invite Mister Proctor over as well.”

 

“I’ll ask Steve, Bucky, and Lydia, but I’m certain they’ll be happy to agree. Why don’t you come over on Wednesday? We can sit and work on our sewing together. It’ll do you good to spend some time away.”

 

“That sounds… Reasonable and welcomed.” Becca smiled, “I’ll see you on Wednesday, then.”

 

“I’ll see you on Wednesday,” Eevie promised, before Becca hugged her and took her leave. Eevie watched the other woman walk to where her buggy was hitched, wishing she could do more for her sister-in-law. She sighed, and turned to seek out her husbands, only to see May heading in her direction.

 

“Missus Barnes-Rogers,” May said pleasantly.

 

“Missus Parker,” Eevie reached out and took May’s hand, giving it a squeeze, “How are you and Peter doing?”

 

“We’re… It’s hard, but we’re still soldiering on.” May said, her smile slipping for a minute. Then it was back again, “We wanted to invite you all over for dinner today, and I’m not taking ‘no’ for an answer.”

 

Eevie blinked, surprised. “I… All right. I need to ask the others if they mind, of course.”

 

“I hope they won’t.” May said, “Peter wants to talk to your husbands about harvest. It’s early still, but he’s worried he won’t be able to manage it all.”

 

“I know we’re all more than willing to help, with harvest and with butchering.” Eevie said, “I know they were planning on helping the Lewises with their harvest, and Becca as well, of course.”

 

“We should get a group together. It will take no time at all if we spend a few days at one house and then move on to the next.” May mused.

 

“That is an excellent idea.” Eevie’s eyes widened. It would be like when they hired threshers; they came to one farm a day to thresh the wheat before moving on to the next. “Everyone’s harvest could be done in no time at all.”

 

“If we can get others to agree.”

 

“I have every faith in your powers of persuasion, May.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter, sorry not sorry. It's short because the next scene is getting a bit long and I thought the break would work better here.
> 
> I tried writing the rest of the party, it just... Flowed very poorly. I couldn't get it right so I said fuck it and moved on. Again, sorry not sorry.
> 
> I am still working with only one arm and a ridiculous amount of painkillers, which is probably the cause of the trouble. I'm still into this story, I still love, it, still can't wait to tell the rest of it, just... Medical bullcrap.


	40. Chapter 40

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which there is Sunday dinner, and Eevie gets her groove back.

Eevie had been to May’s house before everyone fell sick, of course, but the state it had been in while she was ill was what lingered in her memory. It was good to see everything scrubbed and in its proper place, the wash basin empty, the stove freshly blacked, and the curtains crisp from a recent ironing instead of hanging as limp and listless. The table was set with the company linens, instead of the red and white checked cloth that had grown increasingly dingy with each passing day of illness.

 

Then there was May’s cooking, which blew even Becca’s cooking out of the water. The pork pie stood tall and golden brown, the glory of the table, surrounded by bowls of a string bean succotash, beet salad, pickled peaches, stewed squash, and fresh rolls. At each place setting there was a small dish of cottage cheese with sliced tomatoes fresh from the garden, and Eevie saw the chess pies waiting on the worktable by the stove for after the meal was finished.

 

Peter looked as if he felt awkward taking Ben’s place at the head of the table, but as the man of the house he was expected to lead them in prayer and to serve the main dish. The prayer was simple and short, Peter not stumbling over a single word, before they released hands and he turned his attention to the business of serving dinner. He cut and served the pork pie and the succotash, then passed the plate to May who filled it with everything else, passing plates first to Eevie, then Lydia, then to Bucky, Steve, herself, and lastly to Peter.

 

The conversation centered around the food at first, which tasted even better than it looked. Eventually, Peter broached the subject May had brought up to Eevie earlier; “I know it’s early to start talking about it, harvest won’t be for another two months at the earliest, but I was thinking that maybe we could help each other out? Uncle Ben always did most of the work and I helped, but it’s a lot for just me, and I thought maybe you could use an extra hand, and the Lewises are going to need help too, maybe the Wilsons, and your sister will need help too, won’t she, Mister Barnes-Rogers?”

 

“It’s Bucky.” Bucky said, trying to keep his expression neutral, but Eevie could tell that he was barely concealing his grin of amusement.

 

“Sorry. Bucky, sir.”

 

“You don’t need to call either of us ‘sir’, Peter.” Steve said kindly. “And that’s a good idea, all of us getting together to help one another with our harvests. We’ll be able to get everything done more quickly. We were already planning on helping Becca since she’s kin, and were discussing helping the Lewises, but haven’t spoken to Missus Lewis yet.”

 

“She might be more accepting if she knows it’s a bunch of us, all helping one another out.” Bucky said, “Well then, Pete, since it’s your idea, you want to ride around and do the asking, or should we take it in turns? I know Becca will want the help, and she’d likely be happy to help your aunt with the canning and the like in return.”

 

“Lydia and I will be happy to share the work as well,” Eevie added, “We could manage it alone, but many hands makes light work.”

 

“That it does.” May agreed, “And many hands will make it easier to cook for all our harvesters.”

 

“And we can swap recipes when we do,” Eevie suggested, “I’d love to learn how to make this succotash.”

 

“This? Oh, it’s simple. I can write it out for you tonight, if you’d like.”

 

“You don’t need to go to any trouble tonight.” Eevie assured her, “Putting out this spread for us was plenty, and we can’t thank you enough for it.”

 

“You can thank me by helping with the dishes.” May chuckled.

 

“We would be happy to, Missus Parker.” Lydia said. May looked to Lydia then, giving her a small smile.

 

“How are you liking Babel so far, Miss Weaver?”

 

“Everyone I’ve met so far has been very kind,” Lydia smiled, “I think I’m going to like it here a great deal.”

 

“I imagine it’s very different from Vermont.” Peter ventured.

 

“It is, but in a good way. It’s so open here, so vast. It’s as if I’d never really seen the sky before coming here to Babel.”

 

“It does take some getting used to,” Steve agreed, “Bucky and I grew up in Brooklyn, and we were used to feeling cramped and cornered in on all sides by buildings. Coming out here was a change.”

 

“A welcome one.” Bucky smiled, “I feel like I can breathe out here.”

 

“The prairie is good for both the body and the soul. Ben and I drifted a few places before we made our way to Babel, but something about this place…” May had to press her lips together, her eyes bright and shining with unshed tears. Peter reached out and place a hand on his aunt’s arm, his own anguish written on his face. May had to put down her fork and reached with one hand to place a hand over Peter’s, shielding her face with the other. “I’m sorry.”

 

“No, May, don’t apologize.” Eevie urged, “It’s only natural to miss him.”

 

“I need a minute.” May rose quickly, “Excuse me, please.”

 

“Of course,” Steve said, “Take all the time you need.”

 

Five sets of eyes watched anxiously as May hurried from the room, trying to keep her composure.

 

“It’s been hard on her,” Peter said quietly, “It’s been hard on the both of us, but May especially. I don’t… I don’t know what to do to help her.”

 

“Just be there for her.” Bucky said quietly, “That’s all you can do. Be there for her, and don’t be afraid to lean on her, or let her lean on you. You’re both grieving, and that’s only natural, but you both need to remember you’re not alone. You still have one another, and you can help one another through this.”

 

Peter gave Bucky a tremulous smile. “I’ll try. Thank you.”

 

“It’s advice Becca and I were given when our parents died, Steve too, though he held together better than we did. I figured it was solid enough advice for us, so I’m hoping it helps the two of you.”

 

“I’ll share it with May later tonight. I don’t think she wants to see me right now.”

 

“Probably a good plan.” Steve said as he set his fork down, Eevie doing the same. Bucky eyed them a moment, before he followed suit.

 

“Is something wrong with the food?” Peter asked anxiously, “You’re not full, are you? May worked really hard to make sure it would be a good dinner-”

 

“-We’re fine, Peter.” Steve interjected, “We’re just waiting on May. Seemed a bit rude to continue on eating without her, when she worked so hard to make such a fine meal.”

 

“Oh, I… Yeah. That’s a good idea.” Peter said, putting his own fork down, Lydia following suit. Peter seemed to be casting about to find something to discuss, “Were you planning on selling any apples this year?” He finally blurted out.

 

“If the harvest is anything like it has been the last two years, we will. Probably have an even bigger crop, since more of the trees are reaching maturity.” Bucky leaned back in his seat, content to talk business. “You looking to buy?”

 

“I was hoping to. I know Ben did last year, and May said that was a treat. She saved some of the seeds to start saplings, has them growing in a row of baskets behind the house, but it’s going to be years before they’ll produce anything.”

 

“True enough. We’d be happy to sell a quantity to you. I’ll even do it at a discount.”

 

Peter frowned, “We don’t need a discount, we can pay-”

 

“-You’d be getting a discount because we wouldn’t be the ones picking them for you. You and May will have to do it yourselves.”

 

Peter’s furrowed brow smoothed out, “Oh! All right, that would be fine.”

 

“I’d be happy to help, if Eevie can spare me.” Lydia ventured, and Peter brightened, smiling at her though Eevie could see the tips of his ears turning pink again.

 

“That’s very kind of you, Miss Weaver, but you don’t have to do that.” Peter protested.

 

“Seems like the neighborly thing to do.” She countered.

 

“We’ll see how much help Eevie needs when the time comes.” Steve said firmly. “No offense meant to either of you, but we need to be certain we can see to our own affairs before we help others.” Then he smiled, “But I expect she might be able to help at least a little. Everything went smoothly last year.”

 

“Because I had Becca helping me some of that time,” Eevie pointed out, “But I expect this year to be easier.”

 

“I should have thought of all that,” Lydia said quietly, chagrined, “I’m sorry.”

 

“It’s all right.” Bucky assured her, “We help out when we can, because it’s the neighborly thing to do, just like you said, but it’s also like Steve said, we need to look out for our interests too.”

 

“I understand.” Lydia was looking at her plate, clearly feeling chastised.

 

“It’s like when everyone was sick, we did what we could for our neighbors, but we always saw to our own folk first,” Peter ventured. “Right, Eevie?”

 

“Exactly like that,” Eevie agreed with a smile on her face and in her voice, wishing to cheer Lydia a bit but knowing that Steve was correct. They had to see to their own harvest before helping others; one of the reasons Bucky would happily sell apples at a discount to others in Babel. That then became part of their harvest, and he didn’t have to lift a finger to help. They only had to worry about their own harvest; what they picked for their own use, and what would be sold for a larger profit in Cobb City.

 

Steve then asked a question about Peter’s crops, which Peter was quick to answer, Bucky joining in on the discussion. Eevie looked to Lydia, lifting her brows slightly, silently asking her friend if she was all right. Lydia gave her a tight smile and a tiny nod, before looking towards Peter, who was speaking. Eevie followed her gaze, and found that when Peter was discussing his farm he was less flustered than he seemed at other times.

 

It was another fifteen minutes before May emerged, her eyes still bright and shiny, but rimmed in red, her nose red as well. She saw the barely touched plates in front of everyone and frowned. “You didn’t have to wait on me,” She said as she hurried to take her seat.

 

“Seemed rude not to.  The person who prepared the meal should be able to sit and enjoy it with everyone else.” Steve pointed out.

 

“Used the time to come to a pretty handy arrangement for a wagonload of apples,” Bucky added as May settled into her seat and picked up her fork, everyone else following suit.

 

“Oh?” May sounded pleasantly surprised, “I’d mentioned buying a few bushels, but a wagonload? Can you spare so much?”

 

“We’ve got a full-fledged orchard, May,” Bucky pointed out, “We can sell off a few wagonloads and still have plenty.”

 

“We’re almost to the point of needing to dig out a second root cellar to hold everything.” Steve agreed, “We don’t like seeing so much of the fruit go to waste, there’s only so much that we can pick to keep or sell, so having folks come in and pay to pick their own is a good solution.”

 

“We don’t need a second root cellar,” Eevie pointed out, “We still have the one from your bachelor claim, and your old house besides.”

 

“Those are too far to walk to in a blizzard.” Bucky frowned at Eevie.

 

“Hang up a clothesline so it’s safer to walk between the two.” May suggested, “She’s right, you don’t need another root cellar. Just patch up Steve’s old house a bit, maybe fill in the windows, and use it for storage.”

 

“It would save a lot of work.” Bucky finally agreed. “All right, we’ll just patch up the old place and see how that will do for now.” He grinned at May, “Thank you.”

 

“Any time.” May smiled in return.

 

The talk remained on the farms for a while, and improvements that were going to be necessary, ways of tackling the problems. By the time the pie was served May had lost her strained look, and the red had faded from her eyes and nose.

 

“Has Eevie taken you on a drive around the area?” May asked Lydia as Eevie was finishing her pie.

 

“No, not yet. We have taken a walk around the farm, but that’s all. We’re hoping to go on a drive later this week.” Lydia explained.

 

“Peter isn’t doing anything this afternoon, I’m certain he wouldn’t mind driving the two of you in our buggy, if you wanted.” May’s tone was deceptively casual, and Eevie’s gaze snapped over to her while Peter nearly choked on his pie.

 

“I can?” He asked, before: “I mean, I can! It would be a privilege to drive you around the area,” Peter said quickly. Steve and Bucky were looking studiously at their plates, trying not to chuckle at the young man’s enthusiasm.

 

“I would love to, but I can’t.” Eevie said quickly, “I have a few chores I need to get done this afternoon. Lydia can go, though. I don’t mind. In fact, you’d be doing me a favor by showing her around, so I appreciate the offer very much.”

 

Lydia kicked Eevie lightly under the table, her cheeks pink, while Eevie just gave her the most innocent look she could muster in response, kicking her back.

 

“I… Thank you, Missus Parker, Mister Parker. I would like to go on a drive very much.” Lydia said, and Peter gave her a bright smile, and a look of panicked gratitude to his aunt, who just smiled.

 

“Why don’t you two go right after dinner? Eevie and I can manage the cleanup-” May started, but Eevie interrupted.

 

“-I can handle the cleanup. It’s the least I could do after you fixed this feast for us.” She said, “But I can manage, truly. The two of you should go an enjoy the afternoon.”

 

“I’ll help by putting away, if only because I know where everything goes.” May retorted, and Eevie flushed, giving a little laugh.

 

“Of course. I didn’t think of that.”

 

It was not long before Peter was hurrying outside to hitch his team to the buggy, while Eevie and Lydia cleared the table. May showed them where the scrap bucket for the chickens was, as well as the one for the hogs, which made work easier. Lydia did not remain long, shooed out of the house by both May and Eevie.

 

“I know that we brought Lydia out here so she could find a husband, but I didn’t expect that level of matchmaking.” Bucky drawled, “Haven’t the two of you ever heard of being subtle?”

 

“Why bother with subtlety when it’s clear that he likes her?” May asked him.

 

“We just have to see how she feels about him, once they get to know one another a bit better.” Eevie agreed, smiling at her husbands before turning to the task of washing dishes, May coming up beside her.

 

“And if he likes her for more than how she looks. I’ll help.”

 

“May, I can-”

 

“You wash, I’ll just wipe and put away.”

 

“I guess I can agree to that.” Eevie said, pouring hot water from the stove into the basin while Steve and Bucky settled in at the table with a deck of cards. Once they had finished with the dishes, May and Eevie joined them for a round of euchre before May quietly asked if they would mind leaving her be for a time; she rarely got time to herself with Peter’s constant hovering.

 

Eevie hugged May tightly before they left, the older woman stiff in her arms for a moment before returning the embrace.

 

“I’m worried about May.” Eevie said on the ride home, Steve driving.

 

“She’s had a hard loss.” Steve said quietly, “And now she’s facing Peter growing up, leaving the nest. It’s got to be hard on her.”

 

“I don’t think he’d actually leave her, but she does have to worry about him growing up and starting a family of his own.” Eevie mused.

 

“A family with Lydia, God willing?”

 

“If they suit.” Eevie was quiet a moment, “Richard Proctor asked Becca if he could court her.”

 

Steve let out a low whistle, “He’s striking while the iron is hot.”

 

“She said he was staking his claim before anyone else could.” Eevie looked down at her hands, “I don’t like her being alone out there. Alone with men sniffing around is worse.”

 

“It’s hard to change Becca’s mind when she’s set on something, and she’s set on trying to make it on her own, at least through harvest.” Steve frowned, “All we can do is stop by when we can to keep an eye on her.”

 

“I suppose.” Eevie rested her head against Steve’s shoulder, and he wrapped his arm around her and drew her closer. She was silent until the house came into view. “Peter said he’d have Lydia home around suppertime.”

 

“I heard.”

 

“That gives us a few uninterrupted hours before she gets back.” She looked up to him, and noticed that he seemed very fixated on the road all of a sudden.

 

“It does.”

 

“I was thinking… Maybe you, me, and Bucky, could have a bit of a lie down.” She ventured quietly. She felt him tense, could feel the same longing that was inside her rolling off him.

 

“A nap might do us all good,” He said cautiously, not wanting to get his hopes up too high in case he was wrong.

 

“Well, I was thinking we would do a bit more than sleep.” She ventured, “I miss you. The both of you.”

 

“And we miss you, sweetheart, but are you certain you’re up for it?”

 

“I’m certain that I want to try.”

 

Steve gave her a little squeeze, “Then I’ll talk to Bucky while we see to the horses.” He gave her a grin, “I’m pretty certain I know what his response is going to be.”

 

“’Hurry up and get moving, we need to join our wife?’” Eevie asked with a giggle, earning a chuckle from Steve.

 

“Something like that.” He chuckled as he turned the wagon onto the drive that led to the house and barn. “You go ahead and wait for us, sweetheart. We’ll be in soon.”

 

“That had better be a promise.” She grinned up at him. He smiled down at her as he drew the team to a halt, before bowing his head and kissing her tenderly, but with a heat that could not be denied.

 

“It was, and so was that.” He murmured, “Now get.”

 

Eevie gave him a grin and moved to get down from the wagon, Bucky already there to help her down.

 

“I hope I can get one of those.” Bucky teased. Eevie reached up to place a hand on the back of his neck, pulling him down for a heated kiss.

 

“Don’t take long with the horses.” She said with an impish grin, pleased to see his eyes widen at the realization of what she meant. She released him and hurried into the house, practically racing to the bedroom and discarding her clothes without a care for where the wound up.

 

When Bucky and Steve entered the bedroom, their pace brisk, they found her seated on the bed beneath the blankets, leaving her chest bare as she gave them a small smile.

 

Bucky stood stock still, admiring her a moment, while Steve began working on getting undressed, fingers fumbling at his buttons. “I thought you weren’t feeling up to this sort of thing.” Bucky said cautiously, but with longing in his tone. The longing echoed that she had felt coming off Steve, it called to her own longing inside her and made her miss their previous intimacy so much that it began to hurt, a deep-seated ache inside her.

 

It wasn’t even a week that they had talked about not being fully healed, needing more time, but she had suspected that their reticence was more to make her feel better about not wanting them to touch her just yet. Their willingness today only reinforced that thought.

 

“I can’t promise anything,” Eevie said quietly, “I want to, but I can’t. I want… I miss the three of us. I miss how close we used to be.”

 

“We’re still close.” Steve countered as his shirt joined his jacket, waistcoat, and tie on the floor.

 

“And you know that ain’t the kind of close she’s talking about,” Bucky pointed out, quickly divesting himself of his boots, “And she’s right. We aren’t like we used to be. We won’t ever be like that again—too much has happened—but we can try. That’s all she’s asking. To try.”

 

Steve gave Bucky a tender smile, which he then turned to Eevie. He removed his boots and let his trousers fall to the floor before joining Eevie on the bed, but instead of reaching for her to pull her close, he reached for her hand, which she let him have, curious as to what he wanted. He lifted her hand to his lips and placed kisses against her knuckles, then her palm, and then her wrist. His lips were a feather light caress against her skin that made her smile. He raised his head to look at her, saw the smile and the tenderness in her eyes a match to that in his own, and bowed his head once more, this time to kiss her. The kiss started tender, but grew heated as it went on. It was a long kiss, and she was slow to release him, going so far as to suck on his bottom lip lightly, earning a gasp and then a sound that was very much like a growl from Steve.

 

Then the bed shifted and Bucky was on her other side. She turned to face him, reached up to cup his jaw and tilt his face towards hers, though he needed very little guidance. She leaned towards him, lips parted slightly, and he closed the distance between them quickly. His kiss was harder than Steve’s, filled with more raw desire and less tenderness, Steve stroking at her back as the kiss went onward until Eevie felt she couldn’t breathe. That was when Bucky stopped, but only for a moment, reaching for Steve.

 

Eevie settled back so she was reclining on the pillows, smiling as she watched her two husbands kiss, reaching out to touch the both of them, caressing a hand down Bucky’s arm, the other down Steve’s back. Bucky shifted so that he could hook an arm beneath her waist, Steve breaking his kiss with Bucky to drag his lips down his neck, nip at the other man’s collar bone, before turning his attention back to Eevie, placing a kiss just over her heart.

 

“It beats just for the two of you.” She murmured. Bucky tightened his arm around her waist when she said it, while she felt Steve’s lips curl into a smile against her skin.

 

“Just like mine beats for the two of you.” Steve murmured, Bucky echoing the sentiment and kissing Steve’s shoulder as Steve moved between Eevie’s legs, raising his head so that he could brush his lips against hers. Of course, he gave Eevie an inch and she took a mile, placing her hand on the back of his neck and holding him close as she deepened the kiss, earning an appreciative murmur from Steve and a chuckle from Bucky.

 

“Think it’s been a bit too long since we did anything like this.” Bucky murmured.

 

“A bit.” Eevie breathed as she broke her kiss with Steve and turned to Bucky, who settled down beside her, kissing her heatedly while Steve sucked at a spot on Eevie’s neck that he knew made her shudder in pleasure. As Steve moved to caress Eevie’s breasts, Bucky stroked a hand slowly down her side, before slipping it between her legs, brushing his knuckles lightly against her slit. She let out a small whimper at that touch, and Bucky drew back slightly, eyes dark with desire, but also filled with concern as he stilled his hand.

 

“Too much?” He asked her quietly. She shook her head.

 

“Not enough.” She whispered. “But also sensitive. Very sensitive.”

 

Bucky grinned at that, before kissing her again. “I can work with sensitive,” He purred against her lips, Steve chuckling an agreement just before he placed his lips on her breast, lightly biting at her nipple; she liked a little scrape of teeth, but not too much. This time it was perfect, and Steve chuckled at her breathy moan.

 

“Sensitive is good.” Steve agreed, nipping at the underside of her breasts and earning another little moan. His touch on her breasts was expert by this point, and it was nearly enough to make her come undone.

 

“No fair distracting me from the two of you.” She tried to protest.

 

“See, that’s the thing darlin’,” Bucky slid his fingers up and down her folds before pressing the pad of his thumb down on her clit and swirling it in a circle, making her cry out and arch towards them. “… We don’t always like playing fair when it comes to you.”

 

“Bucky…” She cried out, trying to protest as he pressed two fingers into her, continuing to rub slow circles into her clit as he thrust them slowly in and out while Steve licked and sucked and bit at her breasts. She cried his name as well, crying out again when Bucky crooked his fingers inside her and dragged his fingertips over her sweet spot, making her see stars, doing it twice more in rapid succession.

 

It was too much too quickly for Eevie, and her orgasm hit her hard and with little build up. She cried out, body bucking in the throes of pleasure, but it was becoming too much, far too much, too intense, because neither of them were letting up, Steve still stimulating her breasts and Bucky still stroking her clit and drawing out her orgasm.

 

“Bucky!” She whined out, trying to twist her body away from the two of them. Steve paused in surprise; she had never done that before, tried to get away so desperately.

 

“That’s right, darlin’,” Bucky purred, “Think you can do that for us again—Hey!” He protested as Steve reached and grabbed him by the wrist, pulling his hand away from Eevie, earning a sob of relief from her as she sank down onto the bed.

 

“Too much.” Steve said as he settled beside Eevie and pulled her into his arms. She rolled towards him and went willingly, clinging to him tightly.

 

“Shit.” Bucky winced, quickly lying on Eevie’s other side, wrapping his arms around the two of them, “Sorry, Eevie, got a bit carried away.”

 

“S’okay.” Eevie managed to pant out, feeling as if her body was still buzzing, still trembling from the aftershocks, “Just… Need a minute. Or five.”

 

“Take all the time you need, darlin’.” Bucky burrowed his face in the crook of her neck, holding her and Steve, breathing her scent, while Steve tucked her head beneath his chin and wrapped around her, protecting her from the world as she came down from the almost painful high. Once her breathing had returned to normal, she moved, stroking a hand down Steve’s side, earning a rumble of approval from him. Bucky smiled and moved to press a kiss on the back of Eevie’s neck. “Ready to try again?”

 

“Yes.” She said, turning slightly and reaching back to stroke his hip lightly. “But a little bit slower this time.”

 

“You’re in control.” Steve murmured, “Whatever you want to do, sweetheart, we’re game for it. Even if it means stopping.”

 

“I don’t want to stop.” She protested, “Just… Slower.”

 

“We can do slower.” Bucky promised, his hands wandering over both her and Steve, “I’ll try to remember we need to go at your pace, not ours.”

 

Eevie shifted so she could grin at him, and then kiss him tenderly. “You do tend to be over-enthusiastic.” She murmured.

 

“We’ve got all the time in the world for me to be over-enthusiastic later.” He murmured against her lips.

 

“And then when we’re feeling up to it, we’ll go at yours?” She asked him, drawing back slightly and raising a brow.

 

“I didn’t say that.” Bucky protested, kissing her again, long and lingering. They kissed for a long time, Eevie’s hands wandering over Bucky, Bucky’s hands wandering over Eevie, and Steve’s hands wandering over the both of them.

 

When Eevie pushed lightly on Bucky, indicating he roll onto his back, he chuckled slightly, but went willingly. “Going at your pace?” He asked, earning a grin as she moved to straddle him, sitting up on her knees.

 

“Going at my pace.” She agreed, “It’s the one way that I might not get overwhelmed easily. And the only way to keep you from taking over.”

 

“If you’re not overwhelmed, we aren’t doing our job right.” Bucky snorted as Eevie reached down and caressed his cock, which was more than half hard beneath her fingers, despite their brief rest.

 

“I wouldn’t call this work.” Steve retorted, moaning softly when Eevie reached and wrapped her hand around his length and gave him a slow stroke, stroking Bucky at the same time. She leaned down to kiss Steve—who propped himself up on an elbow to meet her halfway—still stroking him, coaxing them both to hardness—not that it took much coaxing. He and Bucky were just as hungry for her as she was for them.

 

“I don’t think this is work at all.” She said as she released their lengths and moved, sitting up atop Bucky again before lowering herself onto his cock, Bucky moaning and his hands going to her breasts. She rocked against him, moving up and down slowly as he stretched and filled her. Eevie could feel herself already beginning to come apart around him; it had been far, far too long since she had done this, she couldn’t help but think as she let her head fall back, letting out a moan. Steve moved to nuzzle Bucky’s throat, Bucky turning his head towards him and the two kissed, one of Bucky’s hand’s going to Steve’s jaw, while Steve stroked at Bucky’s collarbone with his thumb.

 

Bucky reached and took Steve’s cock in hand and stroked him in the same rhythm as Eevie riding him. When she increased her speed, his hand moved faster, and when she slowed down, he did as well. Eevie couldn’t conceal the affection—or lust—in her eyes as she watched her two husbands kiss, seeing them so happy. It was enough to make her cunt clench, making her gasp and Bucky moan into Steve’s mouth, bringing them both closer to orgasm.

 

Steve moved away, moved to be behind Eevie, caressing his warm, callused hands down her back and drawing sighs of pleasure from Eevie at the feel of the gentle touches. Then he reached down lower with one hand and Bucky let out a shout, bucking up into Eevie harder as Steve cupped his balls, touching them just the way he knew Bucky liked. It was too much for Bucky and he bucked up into Eevie again, letting out a shout as he pulsed inside her, not quite enough to get her where she wanted to go, but watching the pleasure on his face—the lashes of his closed eyes dark against his cheeks, mouth slightly open and neck arched as his pleasure was written clearly for her to see—was worth more than any orgasm to her. Although another one of those would be nice.

 

As she lifted her hips and let him slip from inside her, Steve caught her by her hips and pulled her backward, his cock taking the place of Bucky’s, and she knew that she would eventually be getting what she wanted. She just had to be patient… And being patient with them was always worth the wait. She leaned down, resting her weight on her forearms as she nuzzled Bucky’s throat. Bucky stroked his fingers through her hair which had come loose, as well as stroking up and down her back, while Steve slowly moved in her against Bucky. It was close to too much again—hands were everywhere on her; sliding up and down her back, fingers digging into her hips. Their heat was filling the already warm room, bodies beginning to glisten with sweat. She tasted it on Bucky’s skin as she kissed his neck, along his jaw.

 

Bucky let out a little curse, starting to harden against her once more. His cock was pressed against Eevie’s body, slid up and down with every thrust of Steve’s. It was a delicious sensation for Eevie, who felt the pleasure building in her, finally overwhelming her and flooding her body. She clung tightly to Bucky as she came, pressing her forehead against his shoulder and crying out. Then Steve was letting out a little growl, thrusting into her harder once, twice more, before she could feel him thicken and then pulse inside her as he found his own release.

 

Steve withdrew from her after a moment and collapsed down onto the mattress, his breaths shallow despite how rapidly his chest was rising and falling. Eevie slowly moved off of Bucky, taking her place between the two men, who turned and wrapped their arms around her, the three of them sharing caresses and lingering kisses.

 

“I think,” Steve finally murmured, “We’re going to have to find a way to get Lydia to go on a drive every week.”

 

Bucky chuckled, “Just like when Becca and Isaac were courting.”

 

“Oh, so this brings back old memories?” Eevie laughed.

 

“A little bit. But this is better.” Steve said quietly, “I didn’t know that it was possible to be happier than we were then, but here we are now.”

 

“Here we are.” Bucky agreed.

 

Eevie couldn’t contain her smile. Here they were.


End file.
